Acknowledgments
More than 150 homeowners, landscape designers, and plant experts made this
book possible, and I am indebted to all of them. Individuals who were especially
generous with their time and expertise include horticulturists Patrick Anderson and Joe Clements (former curator of the desert collection at the Huntington
Botanical Gardens). Nursery owners Jeff Moore of Solana Succulents and Michael
Buckner of The Plant Man contributed photos and helped ﬁne-tune plant identiﬁcation and descriptions. Other plant pros who were invaluable include Molly
Thongthiraj of California Cactus Center, Jerry Hunter and Kelly Grifﬁn of Rancho Soledad Nursery, kalanchoe and crassula expert Jeff Harris of the San Diego
Cactus and Succulent Society, Margee Rader of Euro-American Propagators, Bill
Teague of Quail Botanical Gardens, and echeveria expert Marylyn Henderson. I
also am grateful to my editor at Sunset magazine, Kathleen Brenzel, whose idea
it was in the ﬁrst place that I write a book about designing with succulents, and
who suggested Timber Press.

8

Preface
Succulent describes any plant that survives drought by storing water in its leaves,
stems, or roots. When I was a child, such smooth, plump plants reminded me of
modeling clay, and their shapes of stars, beads, and jelly beans. As I grew older, I
equated succulents with jade plants that thrive in abandoned gardens and were
removed by people who were serious about landscaping.
Succulents were far from my mind when I began gardening in 1990. Because I
wanted big, bold, beautiful ﬂowers, I cultivated tropical cannas, and my roses and
ﬂuffy perennials hearkened to English gardens—never mind that inland Southern California (USDA zone 9) is subject to frost, 100-degree heat, rain that falls
minimally (and mostly in February), and the soil is decomposed granite, poor in
organic matter. At one time I had more than a dozen varieties of cannas and 75
rosebushes, all of which required endless amending, mulching, fertilizing, pruning, spraying, irrigating, and deadheading. I still would be doing all that if my
work had not introduced me to people who view gardening as an endeavor that
ought to suit the region.
My job as a garden and design writer is to deﬁne and describe beauty. Whether
I am touring a showcase house or a notable garden, I strive to ﬁnd what makes the
environment appealing. Architects, landscapers, and homeowners who design
such settings dissect them for me, so my readers can learn their secrets.
In midwinter of 1999, when my garden consisted of pruned, leaﬂess rosebushes; brown-leaved cannas; and perennials that had been cut to the ground, I
was asked to write a story about Patrick Anderson’s garden, located in Fallbrook,
California, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego. That day in December
his garden was lush and colorful, despite its decomposed granite soil and lack of
automatic irrigation.
“Fleshy green monsters in Patrick Anderson’s Fallbrook garden look like they
might snap him up if he turns his back,” my article began. “They’re giant succulents, and Anderson’s half-acre hillside showcases hundreds of unusual ones.”
The story went on to describe aloes that “pierce the sky like exotic torchbearers,
hot orange against cool blue,” and agaves that “sprawl like squids, or explode
upward like ﬁstfuls of knives.”
I discovered that succulents are as elegant as they are dramatic and show
to advantage in uncomplicated combinations. Two or three varieties carefully
9

10

Preface

Preface

selected for shape, color, and texture create simple, eye-catching compositions.
Those succulents—notably agaves—with curved or undulating leaves suggest
motion, which makes any garden more intriguing. Moreover, like seashells and
snowﬂakes, succulent foliage forms patterns that illustrate nature’s innate geometry and that are striking when repeated.
During the next few years, I incorporated more and more succulents into my
garden. Like traditional pruned hedges, succulents lent structure to the overall
design but were much more practical. They held their shapes year-round and
kept the same leaves for years. I learned ﬁrsthand that in a warm, dry climate, a
garden comprising succulents and similarly drought-tolerant perennials makes
sense economically, aesthetically, and ecologically. It is lush and appealing,
requires signiﬁcantly less water and maintenance than roses and tropicals, and
does not turn into naked sticks in winter.
Aeonium arboreum and A. haworthii, Agave americana ‘Marginata’, and Bulbine frutescens proved trouble-free—as did the aloes, sedums, senecios, kalanchoes, and graptopetalums that followed. These were readily propagated, and
the results were so easy-care and appealing that my garden subsequently was
featured in Sunset magazine and Better Homes & Gardens.
Since then, I have sought gardens throughout Southern California, and as far
away as New York and Vancouver, that show succulents to advantage. This book
is the result of my search; its purpose is to offer alternatives to traditional lawnand-ﬂowerbed landscapes and to show what is possible when succulents shine
as primary garden elements. It is a guide to aesthetic and practical ways to cultivate, display, and enjoy these versatile plants, in the ground as well as in containers.

DIVERSITY OF SUCCULENT GARDENS
Gardens of succulents and plants with similar cultivation requirements fall into
the category of xeriscape, which is the art of creating a water-efﬁcient landscape.
Xeros, from the Greek, means dry. What it does not mean is desert, nor is it a
concept that is costly or difﬁcult to implement. Moreover, not all xeriscapes look
alike, as is evident by the diversity of the gardens shown in the photographs in this
book. Succulents range from immense agaves to sedums with rice-sized leaves.
They can grow alongside meandering pathways, in formal settings with geometric lines, on boulder-strewn hillsides, and in pots on patios and balconies.
A succulent garden is not the same as a cactus garden. While it is true that all
cacti are succulents, not all succulents are cacti. Unlike other succulents, cacti

Orange spires of Aloe vanbalenii contrast with yellow blooms of Euphorbia rigida. The
palm in the foreground is Bismarckia nobilis. Design by owner Patrick Anderson

often have spines, actually modiﬁed leaves, that grow in clusters. Many prefer
hot, dry growing conditions and do not fare well in soil that retains moisture or
is rich in organic matter. Although gardens of this sort have appeal, this book’s
primary emphasis is on more user-friendly gardens. These feature succulents
that are soft-leaved as opposed to prickly and that combine well with herbaceous
plants from Mediterranean climates. This is not to say that cacti and succulents
cannot complement each other, both in design and cultivation; indeed, many
landscapes featured in these pages combine the two. But rather than looking barren, these gardens are lush and abundant.
The more than 50 genera of succulents and cacti mentioned in this book are
by no means all that exist or that are available, but rather those best suited to
residential landscapes. It is a blessing of the 21st century—and one we take for
granted—that we can include such plants in our gardens. Kalanchoes from Madagascar, for example, were unknown in the United States in 1950. And some of
the showiest succulents, such as the fancy rufﬂed echeverias, are hybrids introduced during the ﬁnal few decades of the 20th century.

13

<F4, P-3.tif, alt slide>

Cacti and succulents intermingle on an Escondido, California, hillside that encompasses
several acres of steep, rocky terrain. At foreground left is Agave attenuata; at right, yellow Bulbine frutescens in bloom. Orange ﬂowers are Aloe striata. Spiky-leaved trees
framing the composition are Yucca aloifolia, and in the background are purple spires of
Echium candicans (pride of Madeira). Cacti include Cereus peruvianus, Opuntia ﬁcusindica, and Stenocereus. Design by owner Peter Bailey

Most—but not all—of the succulents included here come from areas of the
world that are hot and dry and that receive minimal rainfall. These plants are
best suited to USDA zones 9 and 10, although they will survive outdoors in zones
8 and 11 with adequate protection from frost, excessive heat, and moisture. This
ideal climate is found sporadically in latitudes from 20 to 40 degrees, notably
marine-inﬂuenced, nontropical areas of the U.S. South and Southwest, Mexico,
Pakistan, northern India, eastern China, Taiwan, southern Japan, South America,
South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the Mediterranean. In other zones,
especially during seasonal temperature extremes, succulents are best cultivated
indoors.
Horticulturist and landscape designer Thomas Hobbs, who lives and gardens
in Vancouver, British Columbia, brings his succulents inside every winter—a task
he considers well worthwhile. In his book, The Jewel Box Garden (2004), Hobbs

14

Preface

writes, “Succulents are to today’s hippest gardeners what Canna and Colocasia
were ﬁve years ago. They are at the epicenter of a new botanical quake of creativity. Their ease of culture and fabulous variety of form allow anyone to create
something fairly amazing their very ﬁrst try.”

BOOK OVERVIEW
This book’s initial chapters provide suggestions for planning and preparing your
garden, including tips on soil amendment and irrigation. You will discover the
basic principles of landscape design—scale, proportion, repetition, contrast,
emphasis, and texture—and learn how to apply these in your garden. As you conceptualize your ideal landscape, you will consider various enhancements, such
as water features, dry streambeds, pathway borders, streetside plantings, and
terraces. You will learn how to transform your front yard into a welcoming, lowmaintenance entry garden. And, because succulents come in every hue, including blue, red, purple, orange, and black, an entire chapter is devoted to color.
One intriguing way to design with succulents is to create a garden that resembles a coral reef. You will discover how this is done in chapter 3, which includes
other gardens that meet a need or illustrate various themes. Here you will ﬁnd
succulents for desert, beach, ﬁre-safe, boulder, and art-gallery gardens; geometric and tapestry plantings; green roofs; and a labyrinth.
In any climate or region, succulents can be grown in pots. Those shown in
chapter 4 are lovelier—and much longer lasting—than any ﬂoral bouquet and will
thrive in the same environment you enjoy yourself: your home’s sunny indoor
areas. This chapter also ventures into the art of topiary; succulents grow readily
in moss-ﬁlled forms that are by no means limited to wreaths.
If you live where frost and wet weather are concerns, you will ﬁnd chapter 5
especially helpful. It offers over-wintering advice and lists succulents that thrive
in zones 8 and below and features gardens in Oregon, Washington, upstate New
York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
Although few pests bother succulents, you will learn how to control those that
do in chapter 6. This chapter also includes propagation instructions that will
help you start new plants from existing ones.

Preface

PLANT PALETTE
Before selecting any succulent for your garden, know its size at maturity. Size has
practical as well as aesthetic implications. Many aloes and agaves, for example,
become huge, which can be either a beneﬁt or a drawback. In the wrong spot,
such grand plants outwear their welcome and can be tricky—even treacherous—
to relocate.
To help you with plant selection, Part Two includes four chapters that make
up the Plant Palette: tall, treelike, and immense succulents; midsized and shrub
succulents; small, low-growing, and ground cover succulents; and companion
plants. To make this book most useful for garden design, I have categorized succulents according to their aesthetic and practical uses. Therefore, euphorbias,
aloes, agaves, and others appear in more than one chapter, based on their size
at maturity and growth habits. Plant names used are those recommended by the
Royal Horticultural Society, the Sunset Western Garden Book, and other recognized horticultural authorities.
Aesthetically pleasing landscapes tend to include plants from all palette categories, although this is not a hard-and-fast rule. Regardless of the size of your
garden—even if it is a collection of containers—think high, medium, and low: one
or more large plants for drama and height, midsized shrubs for lushness, and
ground cover as ﬁller.
As you evaluate succulents and companion plants and choose those that
appeal to you, note how much cold they will tolerate, their sun and water requirements, and how much and what kind of care they will need. Directional references throughout the book (such as “north-facing” and “south side”) apply to the
northern hemisphere; readers south of the equator should adjust the information accordingly. Also, references to “the Southwest” refer to the Southwestern
United States.
Browse the Plant Palette for a general idea of what is available, and then refer
to it in depth as you reﬁne your garden’s design. Numerous trees, ground covers, bulbs, annuals, and perennials that share growth and cultivation requirements with succulents can be used as companion plants to add variety. Finally,
resources in the back of the book provide names of public gardens that specialize
in succulents or show them in landscape applications.
You will discover that succulents provide an ideal medium for garden designers and homeowners who also are artists. Few other plants are so sculptural and
make such statements in the landscape. With this book as your guide, your garden will become an open-air gallery of three-dimensional, ever-changing art.

15

<F4A, X05-03.tif>
FLOPPED OK??

Agave americana ‘Mediopicta Alba’ and blue senecio complement the color of the orange
Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’. The agave’s crisp symmetry also contrasts with the
soft, loose look of the senecio and euphorbia. Carolyn and Herbert Schaer garden, San Diego,
CA. Design by Michael Buckner

Professional landscape designers keep certain considerations in mind as they evaluate a site. When you
understand these fundamentals, beautiful gardens
will no longer seem mysterious and unattainable.
You will view your own garden afresh and be better able to implement—and communicate—what you
hope to achieve.
This chapter explains how basic design principles apply to yards, pathways, slopes, and more, and
it shows the aesthetic applications of a wide variety
of succulents. As you prepare your garden’s canvas,
continually envision the placement of plants that
appeal to you. You will soon recognize those that are
especially useful and begin to realize how they might
enhance your landscape. Soft-leaved Agave attenuata, for example, is among the most appealing and
versatile of plants—and a key component of many of
the gardens shown in this book.

SUN CONSIDERATIONS
Throughout the year, the sun rises and sets at gradually earlier or later times and at slightly different
Agave attenuata. Design by owner Amelia Lima, San Diego
spots on the horizon. These seasonal changes affect
the quantity of light, heat, and shade that your house,
outdoor living spaces, and garden receive. In general,
slopes that drop to the north or northeast get less heat than those that fall to the
south or southwest. Landscape architects often place swimming pools on the
west side of homes because people use their pools in the afternoon and want to
enjoy the sunset while relaxing in the spa or dining outdoors.
In addition to helping to determine areas of outdoor activity, sunlight factors
into optimal growing conditions for plants. In southern latitudes, for example,
heat-sensitive aeoniums and echeverias need full sun in winter and semishade
in summer. In high-elevation or desert gardens, where the sun is harsh, they will
need some shade. In lower elevations in northern latitudes, those same plants
will do ﬁne in full summer sun.
Plants in any region tend to grow in the direction of greatest sun exposure.
Rosette and fountain-shaped succulents do this noticeably, and their placement
in the garden should be made with this in mind. In my sloping, east-facing garden, for example, a large Agave americana ‘Marginata’ grows just east of a pathway but does not encroach, because it leans toward the morning sun. Orient new
plants—especially large ones—in the direction they would grow in nature, or
their placement will appear contrived.

Planning and Designing Your Garden

21

The elements also impact a garden’s aesthetics.
Sunlight cast on spiny plants makes them glow and
creates intriguing shadows. Silhouettes and the sky
are part of a landscape, as is the wind, which creates motion. Feathery ornamental grasses and narrow-leaved succulents, such as Yucca whipplei and
dasylirions, are living mobiles; they shimmer when
backlit and ripple in the breeze. And any garden beneﬁts from the addition of water—even if only suggested by a dry streambed.

PREPARE AND REPAIR
During your garden’s planning stages, sketch its
layout on graph paper. Begin by drawing anything
that will not change, such as your house, property
boundaries, walls, and fences. Make several copies
of the basic sketch, and then use them to conceptualize different garden plans. One plan might have
straight pathways aligned on a central axis, perhaps
with a fountain in the middle; another might have
paths that ﬂow around a pond or peninsula-shaped
beds. Keep in mind views, microclimates, and practical considerations such as utilities and tool storage. Potted cacti (notably Myrtillocactus geometrizans) make a
Sketch walkways that lead to and connect outdoor highly textural, low-maintenance arrangement that tolerates heat and sun.
areas for sitting, sunning, dining, and other activities tailored to your family’s needs and recreational
interests. Next, plan the layout of each garden room, deﬁning where various elements—such as large rocks, decking, outdoor furnishings, and container groupings—will go. Represent trees as circles that approximate their size at maturity,
and use colored pencils to block in massed plantings.
Shaggy trees can be transformed with proper trimming. Once established,
a tree cannot be moved—or removed—without expense and inconvenience, so
before you plant one, ﬁnd out how large it will grow, how much leaf litter it will
shed, and whether it is prone to disease. Depending on where a tree is positioned, it can shade a sunny window or sitting area; cut glare from water, reﬂective buildings, or pavement; and deﬂect (or redirect) wind. If you want shade in
summer and sun in winter, plant deciduous trees.
Many excellent books explain how to build berms, terraces, and retaining
walls and install pathways, irrigation systems, and outdoor lighting. One comprehensive guide for homeowners is Complete Home Landscaping, by Catriona
Tudor Erler (2000). If your concept is especially complex, design software
programs can help. For any task beyond your expertise, such as installing a

22

Design and Cultivation

pergola, deck, patio, pool, or other water feature—or tackling drainage and other
grading concerns—hire a professional. Most landscape professionals charge an
hourly fee and can provide an estimate on an entire project, from initial plans
to installation. If you see a garden you like, ask the property owner who helped
create and/or install it. Also check with horticultural societies, garden clubs, the
local Cactus and Succulent Society of America (CSSA) chapter, and nurseries
that specialize in dry-climate plants. Organizations such as the American Association of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and, in California, the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) can provide names of members in your
area. Request to see past projects—not just photos, but actual gardens you can
visit. Rapport is important; make sure the landscaper shares your aesthetic, welcomes your input, has worked with succulents, and understands their cultivation requirements.

EVALUATE THE SOIL
Unlike roses and tropicals, succulents do not require a growing medium so
rich in organic matter it resembles chocolate cake. But should your garden be
blessed with such soil, succulents likely will thrive if it provides the drainage
they require.
Determine your soil type by digging a hole the size of a 1-gallon nursery pot.
Then ﬁll the hole with water. If it drains rapidly, in a few minutes or less, your
soil is probably sandy, which will beneﬁt from the addition of organic matter. If
the water takes an hour or more to drain, the soil likely is clay and inhospitable to
succulents—indeed, to most garden plants—and you will need to amend the soil,
build raised beds, or make planting berms that contain a good growing medium.
Public gardens that cultivate succulents formulate their amendments based on
deﬁciencies in the native soil. At the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, for example,
heavy clay soil is amended with compost, gravel, sharp sand, and wood chips—a
mix designed more to enhance texture than nutrient content. (Sharp sand, unlike
ﬁne, silty sand, has coarse grains that feel sharp when rubbed between the ﬁngertips.) At the Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California, forest
compost is added to the soil, plus pumice if drainage needs improvement, prior
to planting. At the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, which showcases
cacti, heavy soil is top-dressed with 6 to 12 inches of well-draining soil mixed
with enough sulfur to keep the pH between 6.5 and 8.
Obviously, since soil varies from region to region, and even within areas of a
garden, amendment formulas vary. The only deﬁnitive method to ﬁnd out which
additives—such as agricultural lime and compost—will turn your soil into the
perfect growing medium is to have it analyzed. This also will determine its alkalinity (a pH between 6 and 7 is best for succulents). For more information on soil
analysis, check with local agricultural advisories.

23

Planning and Designing Your Garden

When a dehydrated
Crassula pubescens is
watered, its shriveled
leaves become plump
again.

<F8, 1-3.tif>

WATER AND IRRIGATION
If you are planning a landscape of primarily desert-adapted plants and larger
agaves and aloes, you may not need to irrigate your garden if rainfall is adequate.
The plants should be ﬁne with infrequent watering with a hose and detachable
sprinklers. But just because cacti and succulents can survive without irrigation
does not mean they do not appreciate it. A little extra water can make the difference between a parched landscape and a green and lush garden.
When succulents are actively growing, they do best when watered well once
or twice a week. As they enter dormancy, they need less water—on average, every
two to three weeks. The majority of succulents are winter-dormant, but a few
slow down in summer. In this book, if a particular plant will suffer when watered
during its dormancy, that fact is noted in the Plant Palette.
Most succulents can handle more water than they need, providing their roots
are in coarse, fast-draining soil. Although this means you can mix them with
ornamentals that have greater water requirements, the best companions for succulents need a minimal amount once established. To take advantage of natural
drainage, position succulents on the tops and sides of berms and banks, so they
are higher than their thirstier neighbors. Perennials and annuals that need more
water should go at the base of such a planting, where runoff is greatest.
If you live in a hot, dry climate, you will ﬁnd an in-ground, automatic irrigation system a great convenience. Automatic systems (which also can be used
manually) can be programmed according to zone, so that a lawn receives more
water than, say, a bank of ice plants. Minimize water waste with micro-sprayers,

24

Design and Cultivation

bubblers, low-angle nozzles, and drip irrigation. Drip puts water where a plant
needs it most and cuts down on weed growth from overspray. Drip emitters dribble steadily and can be retroﬁtted into conventional systems. Use screw-on adapters to extend drip tubing from the nearest riser to the base of a plant.
Impact sprinklers and ﬁxed or pop-up spray heads are the most popular irrigation products for watering lawns, slopes, and densely planted areas. Spray
heads provide options in terms of how much area they cover (full circle, half
circle, quarter circle, or a horizontal strip) and the volume of water they project.
Because spray heads can be easily changed, you can mix or switch them to serve
greater or lesser areas.
After your irrigation system is installed, test it seasonally to evaluate its efﬁciency.

BASICS OF GARDEN DESIGN
As you delve into the six main elements of design, you will gain clarity on how to
create an aesthetically pleasing landscape that perfectly meets your needs. Elements detailed here are scale and proportion, repetition, contrast, emphasis, and
texture. The last element, color, is so useful in maximizing the design potential
of succulents, the entire next chapter is devoted to it.

Scale and proportion
Scale and proportion concern the size of plants and structures in the landscape
as they relate to one another and to the whole. A landscape with properly proportioned elements feels inviting and is a good ﬁt for its human inhabitants. For
example, a large tree that dwarfs a small house would look more proportional
alongside a multistory building. A 3-foot pond that suits a small yard would be
practically invisible in a large park. Correct scale and proportion can be as simple
as placing small plants in small spaces and large plants in large spaces. It is more
effective to ﬁll a blank wall or corner with a single dasylirion—or a large ornamental pot—instead of a jumble of geraniums.
Intimate areas lend themselves to frilly echeverias and jewel-like sedums;
large areas, to majestic agaves, yuccas, aloes, and companion plants such as phormiums. If your back yard feels open and unprotected, the right-sized plants can
transform it into a sheltered open-air room. Conversely, an area of your yard that
feels claustrophobic likely will beneﬁt from removing clutter and pruning to
open up trees and shrubs.

Planning and Designing Your Garden

Repetition
The foliage of a plant is often more important in garden design than its brief ﬂoral display. Perhaps more than any other plants, succulents—because their leaf
shapes are distinctly pointed, oval, or cylindrical—offer opportunities for crisply
deﬁned repetitions of form. Designers refer to these harmonious, recurring
patterns as a garden’s rhythms. They have the same soothing effect as a musical motif; in fact, when I see such repetitions in a well-designed garden, I hear
music.
Repetition can be a difﬁcult principle for plant collectors who want one of
everything and see no point in having extras. But repetition is essential for unifying a landscape. Large agaves, in particular, illustrate this: Just three of them,
all the same and strategically placed, will lend continuity to a garden, regardless
of its other components. And if those agaves are variegated, so much the better;
their striped leaves will provide another motif.
Repetition is not always multiples of the same plant, though. It can be achieved
in subtler ways, by creating patterns and using silhouettes. A yucca planted near
an agave shares the same spiky shape, as do tufts of blue fescue at its base. Color,
too, is an effective way of playing the same tune with multiple instruments. Combine Senecio serpens, Agave parryi, Crassula arborescens, and Festuca glauca, and
you have four-part harmony sung in silvery blue.

25

Phormiums, aloe trees,
euphorbias, and cacti are
in proportion to this house
and to each other. Rob and
Suzy Schaefer garden. Design
by Robert Dean

26

Design and Cultivation

Spiky leaves on a slender Dracaena marginata repeat the
outline of an Agave tequilana, while the blue of the agave
echoes the color of the home’s window frame. Stephen Hill
garden, San Diego. Design by Southwest Landscape

Drifts of blue senecio match the trim color of this home,
as do the leaves of Aloe ferox (foreground, with orangered ﬂower spikes). At upper left is an Aloe barberae tree;
on the right, Alluaudia procera. Janice Byrne garden, Del Mar,
CA. Design by Bill Teague

A peach-colored wall repeats the sunset hue of Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’, which in turn contrasts with
the gray-blue ornamental grass and Cotyledon orbiculata
(lower right). Threadlike grass stems are echoed by the
larger baseball-bat branches of the tall euphorbia and
again by the chopstick limbs of ‘Sticks on Fire’. Shapes
contrast: The euphorbia in the background is tall and
slender, ‘Sticks on Fire’ is midsized and shrubby, and
Festuca glauca forms a low mass of up-thrusting points.
Design by owner Suzy Schaefer

Wispy Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima) provides a delightful texture contrast to agaves. Unlike more
thirsty ornamental grasses, its cultivation requirements
are similar to those of succulents. Don and Jill Young garden, San Diego. Design by owners and Bill Schnetz, Schnetz
Landscape, Inc.

Contrast
Repetition is soothing, contrast is exciting, and a well-designed garden has both.
Repetition works up to a point and then becomes tedious; this is when contrast
comes into play. For example, in a multiple planting of agaves and yuccas, the
addition of soft, airy ornamental grasses is refreshing. Or you might add a plant
that contrasts with the agaves’ blue-gray color, such as red or coral-colored
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana or bright red Crassula coccinea ‘Campﬁre’.
Asymmetry is another form of contrast and can be used effectively to lend
interest to a monotonous landscape. Although symmetry—such as urns planted
with aeoniums ﬂanking an entryway, or a driveway bordered on both sides
with aloes—can be pleasing because of repetition, few plants in nature form

Emphasis
Emphasis refers to any item strategically placed to
attract attention, such as a tree, statue, or fountain
used as a focal point. These draw people toward garden areas and create destinations. Obvious locales to
emphasize are the center of a circle or the end of an
allée. Less obvious are a bend in a curving pathway
or a gap in a hedge. Hardscape creates sight lines
that lead the eye to what lies beyond.
If you live on a slope overlooking a golf course,
city skyline, distant mountains, the ocean, or a verdant canyon, position sitting and entertaining areas
accordingly and frame the view with large and majestic agaves or cereus. Also, consider your home’s windows as picture frames and create outdoor garden
vignettes you can enjoy from indoors.
Another useful landscaping concept, the axis, is
a visual line that extends between two emphasized
elements, such as a walkway that connects two sit- Hardscape emphasizes a garden gate, and low walls douting areas. In formal gardens, plants typically are ble as benches. On the right, statuesque Aloe marlothii
is perfectly in scale with its surroundings. In the forealigned on either side of an axis, and focal points are
ground, crimson Kalanchoe blossfeldiana borders a cluster
placed where two axes intersect.
of Euphorbia resinifera. The wall’s buttery color enhances
Because sight lines can also emphasize undesir- the composition, and reds repeat throughout.
able objects, evaluate your landscape for unattractive
items you have seen so often, you no longer see them.
One way to gain fresh perspective on your garden is
to turn your back on it and look at its reﬂection in a hand mirror. When I did that
in my own yard, I noticed a yellow “Yield” sign on the busy street beyond. Before
I saw it reﬂected in the mirror, I had been oblivious to the sign.
When you identify an eyesore, take measures to make it less obvious. Either
position something intriguing in the same line of sight, so the viewer’s eye stops
there, or camouﬂage the offending object with shrubs or a structure, such as a
lattice screen. If the problem is a telephone pole, a vertical plant will hide it or
draw the eye away from it. Should you want to veil neighboring second-story
windows, add lacy trees that have similar cultivation requirements as succulents
but that are much faster growing—such as Melaleuca and Acacia. Multiple plantings of yuccas, Euphorbia tirucalli, large aloes, and agaves can also serve as living
walls, screens, and hedges.

30

Design and Cultivation

A fountain surrounded by agaves graces the intersection of main pathways in this
section of the Huntington Botanical Gardens. Red spires, in the background at left, are
Hesperaloe blooms. Drifts of blue senecio contrast with pink-leaved echeverias to form
a multicolored, textural ground cover. Orange-ďŹ&#x201A;owered dyckias are beautiful but
treacherous plants; their leaves are like serrated knives. Design by Joe Clements

Magazine stylists, prior to a photo shoot, routinely remove or disguise anything in a garden that strikes a discordant note and calls unwanted attention
to itself. Typically, these include garden hoses, plastic pots, dirty or faded patio
umbrellas, and anything leaning at an odd angle (such as bamboo torches).
As I prepared my own garden to be photographed, I made utility boxes disappear by painting them the same color as the stucco wall behind them;
hid a hose in a wooden barrel (I threaded the hose through a knothole in the
bottom); spray-painted white irrigation risers brown or replaced them (they
come in black and gray); and painted a tool shed the same tan color as my gardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soil.

Texture
Texture is integral to other elements of design and refers to the way light hits surfaces. Texture is both visual and tactile. Use it to enhance contrast and repetition

and to call attention to focal points. Keep it in mind
as you select and position plants that have fuzzy,
waxy, shiny, or dull leaves. Other textural aspects of
a garden include tree bark, hardscape, and the overall shapes and forms of shrubs—which can change
depending on whether they are viewed up close or
from a distance.
Textural effect is relative to the surroundings.
Even gravel, which at ﬁrst appears coarse, can look
soft when placed alongside boulders. Designers like
to mix textures to create striking contrasts, but a little goes a long way. The addition of plants with midsized leaves can serve as an effective bridge.

Spiky Yucca rostrata shows to advantage against a smooth
tan wall and contrasts with a cluster of Echeveria
imbricata at its base and a mound of Senecio talinoides
alongside the gate. Spires of red Kalanchoe luciae repeat
the shape and colors of Aloe buhrii in ﬂower (foreground).
Strappy leaved daylilies will bloom bright yellow
in summer. Paul Huntzinger garden, San Diego.
Design by Ecosystems Imagery

32

Design and Cultivation

A pond, fountain, and potted cycad grace the entry garden
of a Rancho Santa Fe estate. Pavers laid on the diagonal
make the space seem larger. Aloe plicatilis in the foreground adds color and texture.

GARDEN ENHANCEMENTS
As you conceptualize your landscape, consider incorporating a water feature, a
structure, or a similar enhancement that makes your garden an inviting extension of your home.

Water features
Splashing water blankets intrusive sounds and mufﬂes conversations, so even
your closest neighbors cannot overhear. It also mirrors the sky, creates a habitat for ﬁsh, and serves as a focal point. Options include birdbaths, free-standing
fountains, in-ground ponds, and recirculating streams.

Planning and Designing Your Garden

33

Structures and hardscapes
An arbor lends height and vertical interest and can support a ﬂowering vine,
such as hoya, or an edible one, such as grapes. Such structures also might shelter
a bench or a table and chairs.
Pathways lead visitors to various garden destinations and serve as roadways
for anything with wheels—from tricycles to wheelbarrows. Pavement options
include bricks, randomly placed ﬂagstones, stepping stones, gravel, and poured
concrete.
When positioned outside a sliding glass door, a patio or deck provides an easily accessible dining and sitting area. Situated in the garden—perhaps alongside
a pool or barbecue grill—patios and decks deﬁne outdoor rooms.
Planters and raised beds lend themselves to herb and vegetable gardens and
can show off cascading succulents, such as graptopetalums and burro tail (Sedum
morganianum).
If you have small children, set aside areas for a lawn, sandbox, and/or swing
set. Bright-colored plastic jungle gyms and playhouses can be eyesores, so do not
position them prominently—a side yard is ideal.
To transform a patio or garden room into an inviting area at night, install a ﬁre
pit or outdoor ﬁreplace.
Use river rocks and gravel that channel rainwater to suggest an arroyo (dry
creek bed) and provide a natural-looking access area for maintenance.

Accessories for a garden
room with an outdoor
ﬁreplace include cushions
and tiles that mirror the
bright red of Euphorbia
milii blooms, at far left. On
the right is E. ingens. Design
by owner Karen Phillips, Elﬁn
Forest, CA

34

When selecting stones to
line a dry creek bed, choose
those that appear to have
been worn smooth by
water.

Design and Cultivation

FRONT YARD IDEAS
Traditional front yard landscapes tend to be bland and high-maintenance, with
turf that needs mowing, fertilizing, and de-thatching. Lawns are often bordered
by shrubs that need pruning and beds planted with annuals. One or more trees
drop leaves that require raking. No green component will survive without regular and ample water.
Envision, instead, a meandering pathway of brick or stone that connects the
sidewalk to your front door. Flanking it are mounds of decomposed granite dotted with boulders and planted with aeoniums, agaves, echeverias, and tree aloes.
Ice plants and ornamental grasses provide contrasting colors and textures.
In general, a garden of succulents and drought-tolerant ornamentals needs
one- to two-thirds less water than the same area of lawn. A lawn requires more
water per square foot than anything else you might grow in the same space. It is
an ideal play surface for children, but for most activities, 500 to 800 square feet
is plenty.
A reduced-size lawn will be more visually appealing if it ďŹ&#x201A;ows in graceful
curves rather than being square or rectangular. You might ďŹ&#x201A;ank an oval lawn

Planning and Designing Your Garden

35
Tufts of blue fescue (Festuca glauca) offer textural
contrast to coral aloes
(Aloe striata) that brighten
this front yard. Hardscape leads indirectly to
the home’s entry, which is
positioned asymmetrically
on the right and is emphasized by an ornamental
archway, a large pot, and
a cluster of blue agaves.
Design by owners Diane and
Mark Hampton, San Diego

This succulent garden
replaced a front lawn. A
burgundy-leaved Euphorbia cotinifolia makes a
striking backdrop for tall
E. ammak ‘Variegata’. The
treelike succulent between
the windows is Kalanchoe
beharensis. In the foreground on the left is Agave
desmettiana ‘Variegata’.
Design and photo by Michael
Buckner

with a drosanthemum that blooms vivid pink or red in spring and that surrounds
several dramatic variegated agaves.
Moreover, a lawn, because it needs mowing, has to be level (or nearly so).
When you replace it, you have the option of creating highs and lows that suggest
hills and valleys. Mounded soil is more visually interesting, adds instant height
to young trees, and discourages people from cutting across newly planted areas.

36

Design and Cultivation

San Diego garden, soon
after installation. Photo by
Michael Buckner

The same garden four
years later. The strip of
lawn was a requirement
of the homeownersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; association. Carolyn and Herbert
Schaer garden. Design by
Michael Buckner

The front garden of this San Diego home combines aloes, aeoniums, and senecios with
existing mature trees, including a large podocarpus. The steps continue into a ďŹ&#x201A;agstonepaved area between street and sidewalk, which makes the garden seem larger and
provides space for people exiting parked cars. Shoshanah and Geoff Sternlieb garden.
Designed by owners, Aino Sten, and Michael Buckner

Planning and Designing Your Garden

Pathways between mounds might lead to tucked-away sitting areas as well as
your home’s entry.
Michael Buckner, owner of The Plant Man nursery in San Diego, specializes
in converting turf-and-ﬂower-bed yards to succulent landscapes. He says it takes
only three years for a newly planted succulent garden to ﬁll in; by ﬁve years, it
looks so good that people assume it has been there twenty. Buckner begins designing front yards by considering the location of the street and mailbox, where people open their car doors, and where they park. In his landscapes, the front yard
is wide and inviting. He adds boulders, believing they lend a sense of mystery
and beckon the viewer to explore beyond. He brings in soil is that is amended
with pumice, so it drains well, and then positions mounds of soil and boulders
according to the highs and lows of the home. If a house has a gable on the left, for
example, he places the largest boulder on the opposite side for balance. The biggest rock is placed ﬁrst, as in a painting. Large and upright succulents come next,
and then smaller ones. He also plants in drifts, because in nature, plants grow
naturally where water distributes itself over the landscape.

37

38

Design and Cultivation

(left) Pleasing repetitions of color and form in this front
garden include a clay tile roof, terracotta sun, ﬂagstone
steps, and Aloe arborescens ﬂowers—all in shades of coral.
Those same elements repeat curves in the ironwork of the
garden gate. Christopher and Jodi Queen garden
(opposite) Queen palms give this garden a tropical ambience. Multiple Agave attenuata rosettes and drifts of blue
Senecio serpens contrast in texture and color with a variegated ornamental grass (right). The grass in turn repeats
the shape of the palm fronds and visually ties the upper
and lower parts of the composition. The agaves are in scale
with the setting, and a collection of smaller, colorful succulents are situated where they will be noticed—along the
stairs. David and Phoebe Sackett garden, La Jolla, CA. Design by
Jeff Moore
(below) A gently sloping bank showcases a lavish succulent
garden. Adding height in the background are Aloe thraskii
(in bloom) and A. ‘Hercules’ (A. barberae × A. dichotoma).
Midsize succulents include A. cameronii (crimson ﬂowers)
and A. vanbalenii (yellow-orange ﬂowers). Their bright colors are echoed by orange Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’
and the rusty hues of the rocks. Golden barrel cacti (Echinocactus grusonii) provide texture and color contrast. Ground
covers include blue Senecio serpens and mounding Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’. Design by Jeff Moore, Solana Succulents
nursery, Solana Beach, CA

Planning and Designing Your Garden

39

40

Design and Cultivation

An S-shaped pathway of irregularly shaped ﬂagstones
bisects this front yard. Tree succulents include tall
Euphorbia ingens on the right and Aloe dichotoma at left.
Arthur Salm and Susan Duerksen garden, San Diego. Design by
owners and Michael Buckner

PATHWAY PLANTINGS
Pathways through a succulent garden provide a means for people to enjoy aeoniums, aloes, echeverias, and more up close. For a simple, eye-catching juxtaposition of complementary colors, ﬂank orange-hued pavers with blue senecio.

STREETSIDE GARDENS
When landscaping a streetside garden, consider the scale of the area to be ﬁlled
and provide hardscape if the area will have foot trafﬁc. To create a simple but
harmonious composition, repeat plant material and arrange ground covers in
swaths. If you install large agaves and aloes, make sure they have plenty of room
to grow, so they will not need trimming.

SLOPES AND TERRACES
Steep terrain can be challenging to landscape, but it can be fun to explore a garden that you must ascend or descend, especially one that reveals something new
at each switchback. When you sit, you are enveloped in greenery, yet you also
enjoy the view.
One approach is to cover a slope with ice plants and ignore itâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;which is what
the previous owners of my own garden chose to do. For years, much of the 30degree slope behind my home was blanketed with Drosanthemum ďŹ&#x201A;oribundum,
which bloomed bright purple in spring and, along with oaks, held the soil against
erosion. I did not view the terrain as usable land until I created a succulent

Planning and Designing Your Garden

tapestry in a level area beyond the slope, and I wanted a sitting area nearby from
which to view it. The solution was to dig a ﬂat, semicircular area into the bottom
of the slope. Low walls of pressure-treated wood retain the bank, and existing
trees shade the area and create a natural roof for the outdoor room. In the bank
around the top of the retaining wall, I planted succulents that have ﬁlled in and
cascade: aeoniums, echeverias, sedums, and kalanchoes. The result is an inviting
outdoor room and a sitting area surrounded by a half-wreath of succulents.
Every slope is different and presents its own challenges, but the basic approach
to landscaping a hillside is to build retaining walls to form terraces, and then
connect these with pathways and steps. If you have a steep front yard that slopes
down to a sidewalk, you might build a retaining wall at the base of the bank.
The wall will deﬁne your yard and serve as a raised bed for ﬂowers, shrubs, and
ground covers. The higher the wall, the less steep the slope will be.
Also consider mortarless retaining walls. These have built-in drainage, because
moisture seeps between the stones, creating an environment for naturally cliffdwelling sedums, echeverias, dudleyas, and sempervivums.
Make sure any retaining wall can withstand pressure exerted on it by the
slope it holds back. During construction, to enhance stability, dig a trench about

My garden as viewed from the house. The table and chairs are in the succulent sitting
area, and beyond is the succulent tapestry. Design by owner Debra Lee Baldwin, Escondido, CA

43

44

Design and Cultivation

A retaining wall next to
a ﬂight of steps creates
a display area for Agave
americana, Aloe nobilis, and
Aeonium haworthii (foreground). Echoing the red
of the stairs is Crassula coccinea ‘Campﬁre’. Design by
owner Jill Spurgin, San Diego

Pockets within interlocking blocks contain a hybrid
haworthia. Another idea
is to conceal the blocks by
planting a trailing ground
cover within them.
Design by owner Richard
Feltman, San Diego

a foot deep to hold the ﬁrst course of stone. Angle the wall so that it inclines back
slightly into the slope, 2 inches for every foot of height. If a great deal of earth
needs to be moved or retained, consult a structural engineer.
Control erosion on steep slopes with plants that knit crumbly dirt together
with their roots and produce layers of foliage that lessen the impact of rainwater

A slope is home to a collection of aeoniums and echeverias, with a variegated Aloe arborescens in the foreground.
Design by owner Suzanne Applebaum, La Mesa, CA

on the soil. If you vary the vegetation, your hillside will be a patchwork of color
and texture.
When landscaping an erosion-prone slope, arrange plants in staggered rows.
Build a berm on each plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s downhill side, using soil from the planting hole.
Water with drip irrigation to minimize runoff, and try to avoid planting into bare
soil. To hold in the soil until the plants are established, blanket the area with
jute netting, sold by the roll in home and garden centers. The jute will gradually
decompose.
Succulent ground covers commonly known as ice plants are a popular choice
for steep slopes, because they spread readily and bloom spectacularly. Although
such plants diffuse rain and help prevent runoff, their roots are shallow and they
will not stabilize the soil as well as a mix that includes larger shrubs and trees.

The leaves of Agave attenuata ‘Variegata’ are streaked
with yellow. When combined with yellow nasturtiums
and red Kalanchoe luciae, it resembles a giant corsage.
Design by Michael Buckner

Succulents with colorful leaves are the celebrities of the plant world and the
darlings of garden designers. People invariably notice a plant with unusual foliage color, be it bronze, blue, silver, gray, crimson, yellow, chartreuse, lavender,
or variegated. Because succulents have such glorious foliage, ﬂowers may seem
aesthetically unnecessary, but they blaze in hues even brighter than their leaves.
They also are long-lasting, both on the plant and as cut ﬂowers. Because ﬂeshy
stems hold moisture, the blooms of many succulents—notably aeoniums, echeverias, and kalanchoes—will stay fresh for a week or more in a vase, with or without
water.
Grown in mass, succulents with colorful foliage make an unforgettable display. Solo, they serve as the centerpiece of a potted arrangement or as garden
focal points. And when one colorful plant is juxtaposed with others and with
objects in eye-catching colors, the contrast is as dramatic as it is delightful.

Colorful Foliage and Flowers

Aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) turns orange-yellow in a hot, dry location; it is green when
protected from harsh sun and given ample water.

These striking plants tend to be more rare and costly than their solid green
cousins, but you do not need many in the garden to make a statement. Moreover,
most can be started by cuttings or division. Consider them an investment that
pays dividends—given proper care, they will reward you with offspring.
Some succulents, such as the blue senecios, retain their foliage color regardless of their growing conditions. Others, including Crassula pubescens, Sedum
×rubrotinctum, Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’, Aloe brevifolia, A. cameronii,
and A. nobilis, turn color only when grown in full sun or when stressed by cold or
drought. And a few change color depending on the season, climate, and growing
conditions. Graptoveria ‘Fred Ives’, for example, is a true chameleon (and one of
my favorites); its foliage combines peach, rose, blue-green, and lavender-gray in
varying intensities.

The silvery sheen of an Aloe marlothii variety contrasts
beautifully with its orange-toothed edges and orangeyellow inﬂorescence.

SUCCULENTS WITH GRAY, GRAY-BLUE,
OR BLUE LEAVES
Two or more succulents with gray, gray-blue, or
blue leaves can be used to create a surreal combination seldom seen in cultivated gardens. It can also
be effective to contrast such plants with those with
darker or reddish leaves, such as Aeonium arboreum
‘Zwartkop’ or Kalanchoe luciae, and with succulents and perennials that bloom in crimson, gold, or
orange-yellow.

Gray-green and lavender echeverias, dudleyas, and penwiper plant (Kalanchoe marmorata) create an unusual
wreath. The darker purple accent plant is Tradescantia
pallida ‘Purpurea’. Although cuttings are wired onto a
frame and not rooted in moss, such an arrangement will
last for months. Design by Judy Casanova, Desert Succulent
Creations

SUCCULENTS WITH BRILLIANT FLOWERS
Succulents produce some of the most appealing blooms in the plant world. In
spring, entire hillsides of temperate-climate gardens are blanketed with the
searing hues of ice plant ﬂowers. Aloes send up candelabra-shaped spires—often
several feet tall—massed with tubular blossoms that last for weeks. Flowers of
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana hybrids, commonly sold as tabletop plants, come in a
dozen or more colors.
Those mentioned here are my favorites. They are noteworthy for their brilliant hues, are unusual, or are effective when massed.

USING COLOR
Masses of colorful succulents are more effective
than blotches, and repetition is enhanced by contrast. Hot hues jump out at the viewer and demand
attention, while greens and blues tend to recede.
Use yellow, white, and chartreuse to brighten shady
spots and red and orange to add punch to areas
viewed from a distance. If a part of your garden
seems too hot and bright, cool it with a grouping
of green plants—such as clusters of Aeonium canariense and Agave attenuata.
When pairing colors, use them in roughly equal
amounts to create a balanced composition. Add a
third color to bring out the other two—such as chartreuse with orange and blue. Have fun with complementary hues: juxtapose blue with orange, bright red
with lime green, and yellow with purple. (On a color
wheel, a complement is the opposite color.) The more
vivid the contrast, the more memorable the composition.
Complementary colors need not be the same
intensity; for example, try pairing a peach-colored
plant with deep purple, or gold with lavender. Use
touches of white to relieve the monotony of monochromatic arrangements. Mix, echo, and contrast
colors, but avoid blending cool and warm reds, which
seldom look good together.
Plants with silver-gray leaves may be the most
rewarding to work with; they invariably look good
wherever you put them. Moreover, at dusk or by
moonlight, silvery foliage appears to glow. Plant
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’—a perennial with snowﬂake-shaped, lacy gray leaves—amid your succulents
for a delightful color and texture contrast. Artemisia
especially shines alongside burgundy-black Aeonium
arboreum ‘Zwartkop’, gold-bronze Sedum nussbaumerianum, or a yellow- or red-leaved crassula.

In a striking combination of complementary colors,
a granite boulder’s gray-blue and rust-red coloration
emphasizes the orange-red of Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks
on Fire’ and E. milii blooms, and the blue of Senecio
serpens and Agave franzosinii. Carolyn and Herbert Schaer
garden. Design and photo by Michael Buckner

In this sidewalk planting, magenta-black Aeonium
arboreum ‘Zwartkop’ and purple-blooming Calandrinia
grandiﬂora repeat the cool purple-red of the bougainvillea
beyond. Blue Senecio mandraliscae ﬂows around pork and
beans (Sedum ×rubrotinctum), which has red and chartreuse leaves and bright yellow blooms. Note the decadesold jade plant (Crassula ovata) in the background at left;
it is as tall as a tree. Keith Shannon and Peter Pinkerton
garden. Design by Amelia Lima

Creating colored backdrops
When you choose your home’s color, think beyond traditional tan, beige, and
white. Warm hues of yellow, ochre, and rose make a stunning backdrop for succulents. If you are not courageous enough to repaint your entire house, add color
to one exterior wall. This involves little expense or time; if you do not like it, you
can simply repaint it.

A red tablecloth makes a cheerful backdrop for a white teapot that contains Aeonium
haworthii cuttings. Design by Laurie Connable

A yellow ceramic pot offers a bright contrast to the
powdery gray leaves and purple-pink blooms of
Kalanchoe pumila. Design by Joyce Buckner

Pairing plants with pots
You can achieve delightful effects by matching or contrasting a succulent’s leaf
or ﬂower color with that of its container.
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana blooms repeatedly for much of the year, so it is worth
the effort to ﬁnd a pot the same color as the ﬂowers—perhaps bright pink, orange,
red, or yellow. Or buy three plants with differently hued blooms and combine
them in a single container.
If the trim on your house is white, you might establish a consistent theme
of succulents in white ceramic pots. Or, if your metal outdoor furniture has a
verdigris (greenish) ﬁnish, consider adding celadon-green glazed pots. Paint an

Adirondack chair blue to contrast with orange-blooming aloes, or paint it crimson and situate it near a clump of red-leaved Aloe cameronii.
Echeverias that form tight blue-gray rosettes are gorgeous massed in shallow terracotta pots; the earthy orange of the pot is the complement of the leaf
color. Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’ and its hybrids, which have magenta leaves
so deep they are almost black, are among the most striking of potted succulents;
try them in a lime green pot that picks up the green in the rosettes’ centers, or in
a rusty urn that emphasizes the leaves’ reddish hues.

63

Chapter Three

Themed and
Specialty Gardens

In this desert-themed garden, aeoniums and small aloes combine with yuccas, opuntia,
and several varieties of cereus. Design by Michael Theilacker, ASLA. Rancho Santa Fe, CA

65

66

Design and Cultivation

Because of their compact and unusual shapes, striking foliage colors, and ease
of maintenance, succulents lend themselves to imaginative, nontraditional landscapes that range from practical to whimsical. Succulents can be used as wildﬁre
barriers, for green roof plantings, in rock and boulder gardens and desert gardens, with cacti, and in seaside gardens that tolerate salt spray. This chapter will
also inspire you with “succulent-scapes” designed to imitate coral reefs, gardens
that are geometric or resemble tapestries, and those that serve as outdoor sculpture galleries.

LANDSCAPING FOR FIRE SAFETY
Unfortunately, no plants are ﬁreproof. In the intense heat of a wildﬁre, even gelﬁlled aloes blacken and turn to ash. Succulents, however, are naturally more ﬁreresistant than other plants, and the thicker and juicier a succulent’s leaves, the
longer it will take to catch on ﬁre. At least one home in San Diego’s backcountry was protected during the devastating wildﬁres of autumn 2003 by a fence
of Opuntia ﬁcus-indica and Euphorbia tirucalli; the ﬁre scorched the plants but
proceeded no further.
In 1996, a ﬁrestorm burned 100 homes and 8600 acres in Elﬁn Forest, a rural
community north of San Diego. Neighborhood volunteers since have installed a
one-third acre Firesafe Demonstration Garden adjacent to the ﬁre station. The
garden combines succulents with other drought-tolerant ﬂora to illustrate just
how lovely low-fuel, ﬁre-retardant plants can be.

Why succulents are ﬁre-wise
Without exception, ﬁre prevention experts advise homeowners to plant succulents because they meet these criteria:
Plant tissues have a high moisture content.
Leaves do not contain ﬂammable oils or other volatile chemicals.
Many varieties grow close to the ground, but even the largest will not provide a
ﬁre ladder that enables ﬂames to reach the eaves of a structure.
Plants thrive in dry, sunny areas (typical of ﬁre-prone sites).
Succulents stay green and healthy with minimal irrigation, so they are suited to
perimeter areas that receive less water than those closer to the structure.

Along this property line
is an impenetrable security fence composed of
cacti and other succulents,
including Agave angustifolia. The fence also serves as
a wildﬁre barrier. Design by
owner Bobbi Hirschkoff

GREEN ROOF GARDENS
Another way to use succulents as ﬁre-retardant plants is to grow them on rooftops. Succulents can make the roof an “extinguisher” of sorts.
Shallow-rooted sempervivums, sedums, and portulaca are ideal for green
roofs, which present an environmentally friendly alternative to more traditional
roof systems. In many cities, little or no land remains for parks, but an abundance
of rooftops can serve as green spaces. Green roofs soften the glare of concrete,
glass, and asphalt by providing a cool and appealing patchwork of plants. They
also offer the opportunity for ofﬁce workers and apartment dwellers to enjoy
garden views high above the ground. Plants grow in a thin layer of soil and are
watered by rain, or by drip irrigation in a dry climate. (A green roof requires a
minimum of 25 to 30 inches of rainfall per year.) To enhance ﬂoral color and
add textural interest, succulents can be interspersed with annuals and accent
plants.
The concept seems counterintuitive: Will not a roof that stays constantly
wet rot more quickly than a conventional one? Surprisingly, a properly installed
green roof will last longer than its traditional counterpart (on average, 30 years).
A green roof uses protective layers that shield the structure from wind, water,
ice, and the sun’s ultraviolet rays. First, a waterprooﬁng membrane is applied to
protect the building from moisture and root penetration; next, a layer of growing medium is added; and ﬁnally, plants suited to the climate and conditions are
installed. In some areas, the cost—about 30 percent more than a conventional
roof—may be defrayed by government rebates.

Themed and Specialty Gardens

This green roof planted with Sedum ﬂoriferum is atop Hamerschlag Hall on the campus
of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. The rooftop is being used to determine and
record the environmental beneﬁts that green roofs provide. Photo by Doug Oster

Green roofs also are appearing in the Washington, D.C., area. Local media
praised one atop a condominium complex, planted with ground cover succulents, as a living kaleidoscope. That particular roof combines Sedum album, S.
rupestre, and S. sexangulare—three of 50 varieties of Sedum hardy to the area.
Green roofs also mitigate the “heat island” phenomenon that takes place in
urban areas during the hottest months of the year. When utility rates and usage
peak in mid-afternoon, green roofs signiﬁcantly lower temperatures, saving
energy and money and making cities safer for heat-susceptible residents—while
visually enhancing the environment.

BOULDER AND ROCK GARDENS
Boulders are wonderful enhancements to succulent gardens. If you are fortunate, your property already has some large rocks you can incorporate in your
design. If not, landscape retailers specialize in everything from pea gravel sold by
the sack to stones that have to be lowered into place with a crane.

69

70

Patrick Anderson ﬁlled a
gap between boulders with
soil and planted it with
sempervivums. The ﬂat
rock on the right provides a
place for visitors to sit and
admire the small succulents and garden beyond.

Design and Cultivation

There are many beautiful types of decorative rock, including Arizona sandstones with swirling patterns. But before you select something exotic, keep in
mind that it may look out of place; it is worth the effort to ﬁnd rocks and boulders
that are the same color as those that naturally occur in your area and that blend
with your soil.
From a design perspective, granite boulders are much more than big gray
rocks. They are opportunities to provide contrasting texture and to repeat foliage color—especially when they include rusty veins and silvery patches that echo
similarly colored succulents (such as Aloe cameronii or Kalanchoe orgyalis). Flattopped rocks can also serve as benches when positioned alongside pathways or
patios. When placing a boulder, do not situate it in such a way that you can see its
underside; even though you know it is stable, it will not appear to be so and may
strike a discordant note.
Escondido, California, resident Christina Douglas solved a rattlesnake problem by ﬁlling ﬁssures in her garden’s granite boulders with concrete so the creatures could no longer hide in them. Masons also created stone-paved pathways
amid the boulders and rock dams to hold soil. Succulents and other plants thrive
in such basins, because the stones retain heat and moisture.

Themed and Specialty Gardens

71
The lower end of this rock
crevice in Christina Douglasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s garden is dammed to
hold in soil. Plants growing
in the basin include Aloe
striata, Bulbine frutescens,
Sedum Ă&#x2014;rubrotinctum, and
Senecio serpens.

Bright green Echeveria
pallida (in bloom) grows
atop a pile of rounded river
rocks at the Huntington
Botanical Gardens. In the
background is a cluster of
Agave celsii var. albicans,
and nestled amid the rocks
are blue Echeveria imbricata.

72

Design and Cultivation

SUCCULENT TAPESTRY GARDENS
For years, the focal point of my own garden was a
rectangular bed of 15 rosebushes planted in rows. It
was lovely in spring, but in winter it became an 11by-22-foot bed of naked, thorny branches sticking up
at regular intervals. Each pruned bush had its own
neatly mulched basin, but basically the view from
the living room windows was of dirt.
Inspired by geometric gardens I had seen in
Europe, I decided to remove the rosebushes and turn
the bed into a succulent tapestry.
Because the bed was rectangular, it lent itself to
triangular and diamond-shaped sections. To create
equal-sized planting areas, I extended string from
corner to corner and from the middle of each side
to the opposite. I then planted each section with
low-growing succulents with contrasting foliage:
blue-gray Oscularia deltoides, ﬁne-leaved Sedum
spurium ‘Tricolor’, red-and-green Sedum ×rubrotinctum, Graptoveria ‘Fred Ives’, rose-red echeverias,
and variegated aeoniums. To add height and interest, I planted the center of each of the four corners
with star-shaped Aloe striata. At the middle of the
rectangle went fountain-shaped Agave americana
‘Marginata’. To suggest rings formed by a fountain’s
My garden’s succulent tapestry, with Aloe striata in
splashing water, I circled the agave with clumping
bloom. Design by Debra Lee Baldwin
Aeonium canariense rosettes.
After the succulents were in place, I removed
the string and outlined each section with Dymondia
margaretae, which in a few months formed an interlocking mat of narrow graygreen leaves. The dymondia pathways withstand foot trafﬁc and enable access
to all areas of the tapestry, so I can weed, deadhead, and divide the succulents
without stepping on them.
Succulents—many of which were cuttings—ﬁlled in within six months. Two
years later, the plants have grown so the pattern is no longer crisply deﬁned, but
the tapestry is lush and tidy, requires minimal maintenance, and enhances the
view from my home’s windows year-round. Best of all, this 240-square-foot area
of the garden uses two-thirds less water than required by the rose garden and
produces ﬂowers that are showy and long-lasting.

Themed and Specialty Gardens

Like Agave guiengola growing nearby, this contemporary sculpture in Patrick Anderson’s garden is silvery and
husky. In the foreground in bloom are several Aloe ‘David
Verity’, a hybrid of A. speciosa and A. petricola. Design by
Patrick Anderson

73

A sprinting ﬁgure atop a pole adds whimsy and the suggestion of motion to this section of Patrick Anderson’s
garden. In the foreground are Aloe marlothii blooms (left),
Agave angustifolia var. marginata (center), and Aloe
speciosa (right).

ART GALLERY GARDENS
The architectural and sculptural qualities of agaves and other large succulents
beg for the juxtaposition of objets d’art. Turning your garden into an art gallery
will enhance your enjoyment of it as an outdoor living space and make it more
dramatic and memorable.
If you are uncertain how to choose outdoor artwork, begin by taking into
consideration your home’s architecture, or choose an element of continuity that
uniﬁes the objects you select. This might be color, materials (such as mosaic),
style (such as rustic or contemporary), or a theme (cats, perhaps, or antique farm
tools). But try to avoid clichés. Your garden is unlike any other, so do not clutter it

74

Design and Cultivation

with cow skulls, plaster coyotes howling at the moon,
broken wagon wheels, or signs with trite phrases.
Obviously, art is highly individualized, and what
delights one person may be unappealing to another.
In my opinion, most decorations sold in garden
shops and the garden departments of large retailers
look out of place in a succulent landscape. Whirligigs, Victorian birdhouses, ﬂoral ﬂags, and bunnies with bow ties—anything considered darling or
cute—is better suited to the ﬂowerbeds of a cottage
garden. Such tchotchkes detract from the elegance
and dignity of succulents. I even caution you to think
twice before adding those pretty things seen in gardens everywhere—planted wheelbarrows and gazing
globes—unless you use them in clever or innovative
ways.
If something so subjective can be generalized, I
would venture to recommend that you choose oneof-a-kind rather than mass-produced pieces. As for
what such art might be, the answer is anything weatherproof you ﬁnd tasteful and would enjoy seeing daily.
Consider hunting for objects with intriguing shapes
at ﬂea markets and suppliers of architectural salvage.
One memorable East Coast garden I visited—with a
recycled objects theme—used box springs from an
old bed as a trellis roof and vine support. The rusty
A large cluster of Agave attenuata makes a dynamic backcoils offered pleasing repetitions of form and looked
drop for a statue of Saint Francis. Phyllis and Bill Munster
as organic as the vine’s tendrils.
garden, San Diego. Design by Michael Buckner
Principles of garden design apply to positioning
artwork. Objects should be in scale with their surroundings and contrast with or repeat other garden
elements. When arranging a collection of small objects in your garden, group
them near a sitting area. Also try varying the height at which you display them.
Hang them from tree branches, set them atop boulders or pedestals, and place
them along pathways.
Decorative objects can disappear against a backdrop of foliage. If possible, position them in silhouette, with the sky or a blank wall behind them. If
the items are not “ﬁne art,” paint them to make them stand out. For example, I
bought several wire sculptures for my garden, but they blended too much with
surrounding plants. I took a euonymus leaf to the hardware store and had paint
mixed the same yellow. The wire forms, now painted yellow (after being primed
with a waterprooﬁng paint) are clearly visible and harmonize with a hue found
throughout the garden.

Themed and Specialty Gardens

A mosaic of an agave transformed an eyesoreâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the base
of a light poleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;into the focal point of a garden vignette at
the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon, California.
Garden design by Michael Buckner. Mosaic by Patricia Kaszas

75

A lizard stencil on a rock illustrates that garden art need
not be immense or expensive to be appealing. Pitzer College
desert garden, Claremont, CA

76

Design and Cultivation

DESERT AND CACTUS GARDENS

A note on
taxonomy
In the early days
of cactus classiﬁcation, Cereus
denoted columnar
forms, Opuntia
had jointed stems,
and Echinocactus were fat and
short. Now more
than 100 named
genera exist, but
it is still helpful to
keep in mind the
three main types
when designing
with cacti.

If the spiky textures and austere shapes of cacti appeal to you, and you live in a
dry climate, by all means incorporate these plants into your garden.
Cacti mentioned here are readily available at specialty nurseries and offer
outstanding value as landscape plants. They also work well in combination with
soft-leaved succulents.
Aporocactus ﬂagelliformis is commonly called rat-tail cactus for its slender
stems, which are several feet long and about an inch in diameter. Though bristly,
they are surprisingly soft to the touch. It is native to Mexico, has crimson blooms,
and is a wonderful plant for hanging containers.
Cephalocereus senilis, or old man cactus, is a columnar form completely covered with soft white ﬁlaments, like an old man’s beard. This native of Mexico
grows wild on dry, scrubby, rock-strewn hillsides, where it will attain heights of
25 feet or more (though it is seldom seen larger than 4 feet in gardens). Use it as a
novelty and in container groupings. A similar columnar cactus, also covered with
white hair, is Cleistocactus strausii (silver torch) from Bolivia (to 8 feet).
Cereus peruvianus, the most commonly cultivated Cereus, is native to South
America. Columnar branches grow to 15 feet tall and about 12 inches in diameter. These produce vertical branches that eventually form 10-foot-wide shrubs.
Each branch of gray-green C. peruvianus has ribs bearing stiff gray spines. Large
and intensely fragrant, creamy white ﬂowers emerge at night in summer, eventually followed by yellow fruit. Cereus peruvianus ‘Monstrosus’ is a knobby column
with ribs that resemble melted wax. Both varieties make strong vertical statements in the landscape when used as focal points, silhouetted against walls, or
positioned as dramatic background plants.
Echinocactus grusonii (to 3 feet in diameter), commonly known as golden barrel cactus, is one of the most useful plants for textural interest. These ribbed,
light-green spheres are covered with inches-long, downward-curving, butteryellow spines that glow beautifully when backlit by early morning or late afternoon sun. Native to Mexico, golden barrels can take drought, frost, full sun, and
desert heat. Few plants provide the dramatic impact of golden barrels planted
en masse to emphasize the pleasing harmony of their globular shapes. They
also look good in random groupings—where they appear to roll across the landscape—and are striking when grown solo in circular pots. As they age, they may
produce offsets that form odd and whimsical clumps. Yellow ﬂowers form a ring
around the crown in summer.
Echinocereus, commonly called hedgehog cactus, is a popular genus of nearly
50 species of small cacti from Mexico and the Southwest. All have ribbed, cylindrical stems that form offsets and produce showy, multi-petalled ﬂowers in
spring. These stay manageably small (to 12 inches in diameter).
Ferocactus literally means ﬁerce cactus. These ribbed and spiny barrel cacti
are spherical when young and cylindrical as they age. In their native habitat

Themed and Specialty Gardens

This ﬁve-year-old cactus garden includes specimens that were large when planted—such
as a magniﬁcent trichocereus, at far right. Aloe thraskii lends vertical interest; spherical Echinocactus grusonii adds contrast and texture. Prior to planting, the homeowners
mounded the area with a mix of two-thirds decomposed granite and one-third cactus
mix. Plants are mulched with golden crushed rock. A swath of lawn along the sidewalk
creates continuity with neighboring yards. Design by owners Chris and Margaret Sullivan, San
Diego

(Mexico and the Southwest), they form massive clumps. Some varieties have red
spines that glow ﬁre-bright when backlit.
Fouquieria splendens, commonly called ocotillo, is also native to the Southwest and Mexico. These airy, vase-shaped shrubs are unmistakable, with their
tall, slender limbs tipped with bright red blooms. They are frost tender and must
have a dry winter, fast-draining soil, and full sun; they tend not to do well away
from their native desert environment. A look-alike with less stringent cultivation requirements (one that will tolerate cool coastal temperatures) is Alluaudia
procera.
Mammillaria is a large genus with more than 100 species; all are spherical and
form mounds that resemble spiny stacked balls. Use them to ﬁll bowl-shaped
pots and as appealing accents in rock gardens.

In this elegantly simple landscape, spheres of golden barrel cactus line raised stone beds and emphasize the hardscapeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s graceful curves. Dark gray river rock enhances the
composition and serves as mulch.

Opuntia is the most widespread and numerous genus of cactus, with more
than 200 species ranging from the southernmost tip of South America to as far
north as Canada. Opuntia have showy blooms and paddle- or cylinder-shaped
stems linked one to another. Spines range from polka-dot tufts to long, wicked
needles. Opuntia commonly called cholla have cylindrical joints that break off
easily. Though beautiful when backlit, cholla is not a good choice for cultivated
gardens, as it spreads readily and is viciously barbed.
Opuntia basilaris, or beavertail cactus (to 1 foot high and spreading to 4 feet),
has gray-green pads and rose-purple ďŹ&#x201A;owers. Opuntia macrocentra (syn. O. violacea) (to 4 feet tall and 6 feet wide), is striking in any setting, with pads that
vary in color from green to lavender-pink. Position it prominently and use it in

Themed and Specialty Gardens

Immense golden barrel cacti at the Huntington Botanical Gardens lean slightly in the
same direction (toward maximum sun exposure), which creates a sense of motion. The
columnar cactus at right is Trichocereus pasacana. In the foreground, providing dramatic
contrast to the golden barrelsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and preventing people from cutting across an adjacent
lawnâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is Agave americana. Design by Joe Clements

Cacti dominate the desert
landscape of this home
in Scottsdale, Arizona. A
slender, red-tipped ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)
repeats the red of bougainvillea growing against the
wall. At left, providing light
shade, is Parkinsonia aculeata (Mexican palo verde).
Design by owner Clint Miller.
Photo by Dency Kane

79

80

Design and Cultivation

Delicate spines of Mammillaria bombycina echo the color
and shape of a glazed terracotta container. Note the complex patterns within the orbs and how the smooth, shiny
surface of the pot contrasts with the fuzzy plants.

groupings with succulents that have similarly colored or contrasting leaves.
Opuntia microdasys (to 3 feet high and 4 feet
wide) is commonly called bunny ears for the shape of
its pads, which are dotted with yellow tufts. A white
variety is O. microdasys var. albispina. Opuntia ﬁcusindica (to 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide) is grown in
Mexico as a hedge to deﬁne property boundaries. Its
fruit is the edible red prickly pear.
Pilosocereus azureus, a columnar cactus, is an
amazing azure blue. No other plant is quite like it; it
resembles a pale blue baseball bat. One of these in a
pot, perhaps mulched with blue glass ﬂorist’s beads,
is all that is needed for a focal point and conversation
piece. For maximum impact, group several in pots of
varying sizes. If you combine P. azureus with other
plants, keep the arrangement simple. For example,
place three red-leaved Kalanchoe luciae plants around
it, or underplant it with Crassula coccinea ‘Campﬁre’.
Position P. azureus in a yellow pot against a backdrop
of bright yellow Crassula ovata ‘Hummel’s Sunset’,
or create a monochromatic arrangement in combination with blue Senecio serpens, which repeats the
color and form of the cactus.
Stenocereus thurberi (syn. Lemaireocereus thurberi), commonly called organpipe cactus or Mexican
fence post, is similar in silhouette to Cereus peruvianus. However, it branches from the base, and each
stem has 12 to 19 ribs, giving it a crenellated look.
Clumps grow slowly to 15 or 20 feet and may eventually form as many as 30 stems, each 6 inches thick.
Trees and shrubs with cultivation requirements
comparable to cacti and that are suited to desert
gardens include Abutilon palmeri, Cercidium and
Parkinsonia species (palo verde), Chilopsis linearis
(desert willow), Encelia farinosa (brittle bush), Prosopis species (mesquite), Pithecellobium ﬂexicaule
(Texas ebony), Leucophyllum frutescens (Texas
ranger), and Tecoma stans (yellow bells).

Cacti and succulents in a variety of heights, textures,
and forms grace a hillside at Tropic World Nursery in
Escondido, California. Adding bright red is ground cover
Drosanthemum speciosum. The shape of the agave in the
foreground is echoed by leaves of the yucca in the background. Majestic, multi-branched Aloe barberae is striking silhouetted against the sky. Note how the rounded
paddles of opuntia—though covered with spines—look
soft relative to the spiky-leaved succulents.

SEA-THEMED SUCCULENT GARDENS
The fact that many succulents resemble the marine life of coral reefs inspired Jeff
Moore, owner of Solana Succulents nursery in Solana Beach, California, to create
award-winning undersea succulent-scapes for Sea World, the San Diego County
Fair, the Philadelphia Flower Show, and Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas,
California. On a smaller scale, such designs can grace private gardens and can
even be planted in wide, shallow bowls.
In addition to his own snorkeling explorations, Moore’s sources of design
inspiration include photos in National Geographic and displays in public aquariums. He says the key to getting the right look is to create canyons, because an
undersea reef is not ﬂat. Start with as many lava rocks as you can ﬁnd, because
most coral reefs are volcanic. (Lava rock resembles a sponge and is lightweight;
it is full of holes formed when the rock was molten and foamy.) Build vertically
or on a slope, so when you look at the seascape, you get a sense that you are in
the midst of it.
Moore stockpiles rocks so he will have plenty when he begins designing and
arranging. He recommends accumulating multiples of plants, because a seascape
looks more natural with clusters and repetitions.
After stacking rocks to suggest a reef, ﬁll crevices with potting soil and tuck
plants (or callused cuttings) into them. Mulch with ﬁne pea gravel the same
color as the rocks, and cover the canyon ﬂoor with white sand. You also might
add props—such as a rusty anchor and chain or half-buried urns that resemble
amphorae (perhaps planted with an aporocactus that suggests a moray eel).
Cacti and succulents that are crested—a term that refers to a tendency to
form tight, convoluted mounds—are desirable in a succulent seascape because
they resemble coral. However, crested cacti are rare, slow-growing, and expensive. Include two or three, if your budget allows, with other plants—particularly
euphorbias—that are more common and also provide a similar effect.
Part of the fun of creating a succulent reef is seeing common plants in a fresh,
new way. Before you know it, those you have taken for granted will strike you as
having “undersea” potential. Although many kinds of cacti will work, try to avoid
anything that connotes a desert landscape or has spines so stiff it will not appear
to ripple. Do not use plants with leaves that suggest a terrestrial garden; instead,
look for those with smooth branches and insigniﬁcant foliage.
Ceramic artist Jolee Pink created a succulent seascape with Moore’s help
and extended the undersea theme with a mural of ﬁsh and swimming tortoises.
Along walkways, Pink installed low-voltage Malibu lights, replacing their metal

In the sea-themed succulent garden at Quail Botanical Gardens, aloes, crassulas,
portulacaria, and crested cacti grow amid lava rocks stacked to resemble a reef.
An alluaudia limb that bisects the composition enhances the illusion; it appears
to sway in an ocean current. Design by Jeff Moore and Bill Teague

In the Encinitas, California, garden of artist Jolee Pink, a
mural by Karen Athens enhances the fantasy, and Aporocactus ﬂagelliformis in hanging baskets suggest jellyﬁsh. In a bed of crushed lava rock, pencil-thin stems of
Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’ resemble coral. Red
blooms in the foreground are Crassula falcata. The pathway is paved with smooth, oval river rock.

Themed and Specialty Gardens

shades with large seashells. At night, the lit shells
glow to reveal their spiral patterns. When placed at
the base of aloes or agaves, the lights emphasize the
plants’ undulating lines. Pink also painted a fence
cobalt blue and stamped it with a random pattern
of seashells, ﬁsh, and seaweed. (She cut stamps out
of closed-cell foam sold at craft stores, and dipped
them in white paint.) The fence serves as a backdrop
for pots planted with Senecio rowleyanus (string of
pearls), starﬁsh-shaped aloes, and assorted small
succulents.
Hollow, ball-shaped sea urchin shells make
charming pots for tiny-leaved sedums and sempervivums. Line the hole in the bottom of each shell with
a piece of ﬁne-mesh aluminum window screen, and
ﬁll with potting soil. Insert succulent cuttings, and
set the mini pots in a shallow tray or basin ﬁlled with
white sand (or simulate beach sand with a mixture of
four parts perlite to one part vermiculite). Decorate
your mini beach with chunks of tumbled glass and
additional seashells.
Marine life look-alikes
Coral (branching): Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on
Fire’
Coral (knobby): Myrtillocactus geometrizans
Coral (overlapping): Kalanchoe luciae
Eel grass: Euphorbia leucodendron, Senecio
mandraliscae
Jellyﬁsh tentacles: Aporocactus ﬂagelliformis
Kelp: Sansevieria trifasciata
Octopus: Agave vilmoriniana
Sea urchins: Euphorbia ﬂanaganii, E. caput-medusae,
E. horrida, and E. polygona
Sponge colony (when clustered): Euphorbia obesa
Starﬁsh: Dyckia marnier-lapostollei, small agaves
and aloes

GEOMETRIC PLANTINGS
One of the most intriguing ways to landscape with rosette succulents or globular
cacti is to plant them in rows to create geometric arrangements. Such repetitions
are Zen-like in their simplicity and through the design principle of repetition
perfectly showcase the plants’ forms. You might do this in a level area of your
garden or in a series of square pots.
Peter Bailey, an engineer from Escondido, created a checkerboard of golden
barrel cacti in an area of his back yard most often viewed from upstairs windows. His concept follows the time-honored tradition of English knot gardens
and French allées of shrubs pruned into balls, yet it has a contemporary look
suited to the Southwest.
To build his barrel cactus checkerboard, Bailey ﬁrst installed drip irrigation
lines, so the cacti could be watered during the dry summer and autumn months.
Next, to prevent the encroachment of weeds, he lined the 700-square-foot area
with black plastic. After positioning 25 concrete pavers 2 feet apart to create
a grid, he cut into the plastic and planted the cactus in the intersections, and
then paved exposed areas with crushed rock. To add an element of contrast
and whimsy—and to tie the garden to the larger succulent garden beyond—he
replaced one of the squares with a tree aloe.
Professional landscape designers Russ Johnston and Denny Smithgall of SJA
Inc. were commissioned by Pardee Homes in San Diego to create a drought-tolerant, multi-functional garden surrounding a ﬁre pit. The garden is at a model
home in Soleil, a newer housing development, and unlike the Bailey checkerboard, it is intended as an outdoor room for entertaining. The designers deﬁned

Themed and Specialty Gardens

In this geometric garden, succulents surround a ﬁre pit. At each of four corners, adding
height and providing contrast of form, are slender Dracaena marginata trees in spherical pots. These are echoed by large, urn-shaped fountains along the far wall. In beds are
red-leaved Aloe vaombe, slender-leaved yuccas, green Agave desmettiana, and ornamental grasses. Lining the garden’s perimeter are Aloe striata, which bloom bright orange in
midwinter, and Agave vilmoriniana. Soleil garden, San Diego. Design by Russ Johnston and
Denny Smithgall, SJA Inc.

Outdoor lighting and a ﬁre add drama to the garden at night. Photo by Lance Gordon

89

90

Design and Cultivation

planting beds using gravel, concrete, and perimeter walls. Stair-stepped hardscape—squares within squares—provides casual seating. Fluffy plants in beds
would have detracted from the design’s visual dynamism, so star-shaped and
spiky succulents were used instead.

SUCCULENT LABYRINTH GARDENS
An unusual way to enjoy small succulents up close is to use them to landscape
a garden labyrinth—a pathway that follows a convoluted pattern to the center,
where a visitor turns and follows the same path out. Walking a labyrinth is a
relaxing form of meditation, and unlike a maze, it presents no dead ends or puzzles to solve.
Labyrinths are found worldwide, in numerous cultures. The most famous
pave the ﬂoors of cathedrals in Europe. During the 1990s, the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France was duplicated in San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral. In
addition to public and private gardens, labyrinths sometimes are found at resorts,
health spas, and educational institutions.
As you walk a labyrinth, take your time and let your mind wander. Many people ﬁnd the experience to be a metaphor for the path of their own lives. They
attain clarity on past events and are better able to plan the future. Perhaps
because the loops of a labyrinth resemble those of the cerebral cortex, walking
the pathway can have a profound impact on the subconscious, helping people to
untangle problems, feel at peace, and restore a sense of equilibrium and contentment with life.
A labyrinth’s circuitous pathway can be paved, leaving room between the
loops for plants, or it can be left unpaved. The area should be level, with enough
room to accommodate the pattern. Labyrinths can be as small as 25 feet in diameter, but they can range to 100 feet or more. The Chartres labyrinth, because of
the complexity of its design, takes up as much as 90 square feet (with 2-foot-wide
paths and 1 foot of garden space between them). A simpler pattern better suited
for residential gardens is the classical seven-circuit.
Books and articles have been written about the restorative beneﬁts of labyrinths, and some professional landscapers specialize in installing them. For more
information, visit the Labyrinth Society’s website, www.labyrinthsociety.org.

At the California Center for Creative Renewal in Encinitas, Sedum ×rubrotinctum grows
in mounded soil between loops of a classical seven-circuit labyrinth. Nestled amid the
succulent ground cover are objects intended to provoke thought and enhance the
meditative experience. Design by owner Ellen Speert

In this complex arrangement, coral blooms of Kalanchoe
blossfeldiana contrast with the powdery purple-blue
leaves of Aloe rubroviolacea and cascading Crassula
perforata. Design by Janet Sutro

You do not need a plot of land to create a gorgeous
succulent garden. Succulents can be potted and
grouped on patios, balconies, decks, entryways, and
sitting areas—any place that receives adequate light.
And because pots can be moved indoors or beneath a
shelter, they make it possible to cultivate succulents
that might not thrive in the harsher environment of
your yard. You can also create succulent wreaths or
topiaries to hang on walls or display on tabletops.
Unlike potted annuals, which need to be replaced
seasonally, and perennials that need repotting after
a year or two, succulents tend to last three or more
years in containers, depending on the variety.
Among the most dramatic potted succulents are
single specimens with crisply deﬁned geometric
shapes, such as Agave victoriae-reginae and A. parryi. Also pleasing are single-variety pots of clumpforming rosettes, such as aeoniums, echeverias, and
sempervivums. If you combine more than one type
of succulent in a potted arrangement, the design possibilities are endless.
A rule of thumb is the fancier the pot, the simpler the planting, and vice versa. This keeps the
two design elements from competing for attention.
Consider a tidy, globe-shaped euphorbia in a fancy
Oriental urn, for example, or use a simple clay pot for
a busy arrangement.

DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR POTTED ARRANGEMENTS
Design principles for containers are drawn from ﬂoral arranging and apply to inground vignettes as well.
Lushness tends to be more pleasing in pots than sparseness, so pack your
plants or cuttings tightly—unless you do not mind waiting several months for
them to ﬁll in. Once they start to grow and get leggy, trim them back and use the
cuttings to ﬁll gaps or to create new arrangements.
Balance is an overall sense of unity and stability. Regardless of the angle from
which it is viewed, a balanced composition is neither lopsided nor top-heavy.
You can create an asymmetrical arrangement and still achieve balance. If the pot
will be viewed from all angles, create a pyramid shape—high in the center, low
on the sides.

Aeoniums and echeverias massed together create an
abundant display. The rosette shapes of the succulents
suggest a bouquet, and the pale yellow pot echoes the
color of Aeonium ‘Sunburst’. Design by California Cactus
Center nursery

Scale and proportion refer to the relationships among an arrangement’s components. Scale has to do with the size of objects; proportion, with areas and quantities. For example, a large, heavy container would be out of scale with small,
delicate succulents.
Rhythm is the way the viewer’s eye moves through an arrangement. Also called
ﬂow, it sustains interest and engenders a sense of beauty. Rhythm comes from
repetitions of color, size, shapes, and textures that may be subtle or prominent.
Contrast emphasizes the differences between two elements and, in so doing,
brings both into greater prominence. It also spices up an otherwise lackluster
arrangement.

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Design and Cultivation

This dish garden is a ďŹ esta of color and texture. Assorted same-sized cacti are in scale
with the turquoise container and with each other. Sand-colored pebbles provide the perfect ďŹ nishing touch. Design by California Cactus Center nursery

Pots, Wreaths, and Container Gardens

Create a miniature landscape
A shallow terracotta bowl can contain an entire garden and makes a wonderful tabletop display. Lilliputian landscapes also present a fresh way to appreciate the shapes and dimensions of succulents.
To create such a fantasy, you will need a diminutive building, ideally one with Santa Fe, Spanish, or
Old West architecture—because these are in keeping with the dry climates that the plants suggest. Fill
the pot to 1 inch below the rim with a coarse, fast-draining cactus mix, and place the miniature building just off center. Next, scoop out some soil and add three treelike plants. These should be approximately three times the height of the container and should relate to the size of the building, in terms of
scale and proportion, as real trees might.
When selecting plants, look for those with a variety of leaf shapes. If they are a mix of square, elongated, and oval, they will enhance the composition with texture and contrast. Repeat certain elements
as well. For example, if the tiny building is a pink-terracotta color, one of your tree choices might be
peach-colored Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’. Other branching, treelike succulents include most
crassulas, particularly Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’ and C. tetragona. Tuck a tiny, spiky haworthia along one
side of the structure; it will ﬁll in the middle ground and suggest a giant agave.
Finish the miniature landscape by covering the soil around the building with decomposed granite,
ﬁne-textured gravel, or neutral-colored aquarium rock. You can also use it to create a pathway from
the edge of the container to the door, to draw viewers into the scene.

This miniature landscape illustrates the “rule of three,” with three mini trees and
three terracotta-colored elements. Foliage blends and swirls throughout the composition and partially conceals the focal point—the little mission. The pot is positioned
so that a backdrop of blue Senecio mandraliscae contrasts with orange Euphorbia
tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’. Design by owner Suzy Schaefer

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Design and Cultivation

Each pot in this cluster is different, yet all are uniﬁed
by color. Star-shaped plants also provide an element of
repetition. The red succulent between the two Aeonium
‘Sunburst’ rosettes is Aloe macrum. A glossy green hechtia
is on the left, and tiny blue echeveria hybrids add texture
and color contrast. Design by owner Patrick Anderson

STYLE AND SIZE
One way to make a grouping of containers dynamic is to choose pots that have
a design element in common—such as material, color, or shape. You might, for
example, use pots that all have a cobalt blue glaze. Or choose pots that are identical in size and shape, each with a different-colored exterior.
Pots should be in proportion to the space they ﬁll. Small containers are ﬁne
for an intimate balcony, but larger ones make a statement in your yard. Imagine,
for example, a pathway lined with pots at regular intervals. If each is different—
perhaps a mix of glazed, terracotta, tall, and shallow—the landscape will lack
continuity. But if each is a 3-foot-tall urn that contains, say, a clump of Aeonium
canariense or large green Agave attenuata rosettes, they will create a pleasing
pattern that draws the viewer into the garden.

Pots, Wreaths, and Container Gardens

This assortment of solid-hued ceramic pots stands out
against a bold-colored wall. Pots repeat the textural gloss
of the tile, yet their cool colors contrast with yellow and
orange. The cycad Zamia furfuracea is in the large green
pot. Design by owner Ivette Soler, Eagle Rock, CA. Photo by Lisa
Romerein

99

Dracaena draco contrasts with the smooth texture of
stucco walls and a stone ﬂoor. Pot colors blend with surrounding sand hues yet also offer contrast in their round
shapes. Even the tree’s shadow subtly enhances the
composition. Design by owner Suzy Schaefer

Large pots will look ungainly unless they contain proportionately large plants;
tall and treelike succulents are obvious choices. When their roots are conﬁned,
large succulents grow slowly. Container-grown agaves stay much smaller than
their garden-grown counterparts.

POT PLACEMENT
If your outdoor rooms have blank walls, use potted succulents or wreaths to ﬁll
empty spaces and elevate foliage to eye level. Half-pots with ﬂat backs can be
mounted on a wall and ﬁlled with cascading succulents, such as Sedum morga-

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Design and Cultivation

A wall-mounted pot serves as a welcoming bouquet for
arriving guests. Along with the tile address plaque and
rustic light ﬁxture, the pot sets the stage for a garden
with personality. Lending height to the arrangement is
Crassula tetragona. Design by owner Anne Samstad

nianum or Graptopetalum paraguayense. Cover an entire wall with plants in halfpots to create a lush, vertical garden that takes up little room. Hang succulent
wreaths on fences or doors.
It often is better to use one large pot than several smaller ones—certainly, it
is more dramatic and less cluttered. The rule of thumb is that the pot (or grouping) should ﬁll a third or more of the display space. So if your patio wall is 8 feet
high, use a pot—or a plant stand with a pot on top—with a combined height of 3
feet or more.
You can also hang baskets of succulents from an overhead beam. Ground
covers, such as Portulaca grandiﬂora, lampranthus, and drosanthemums, make
lovely additions to hanging baskets, as do cascading plants such as Senecio rowleyanus (string of pearls).
In sitting areas, enhance a sense of enclosure by elevating plants to tabletopheight. Eye level is the key; if the container is in an area that receives mostly foot

A rat-tail cactus (Aporocactus ﬂagelliformis) tumbles out
of an overturned pot, suggesting a waterfall. Design by
Rogue McNeal

trafﬁc, for example, use succulents that grow tall, such as Beaucarnea recurvata
(ponytail palm) or Euphorbia trigona. A succulent wreath or topiary makes an
excellent centerpiece for the table.

CREATIVE DESIGN IDEAS
Window boxes, urns, shells, and even hollow concrete blocks can serve as containers that display succulents in creative and visually intriguing ways. Any
object that is impervious to water, that will contain soil to a depth of several
inches, and that has one or more drain holes has potential to serve as a container
for succulents.

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Design and Cultivation

Pots, Wreaths, and Container Gardens

A hollow concrete block that holds a pot of Kalanchoe
blossfeldiana contrasts with the ﬂowers’ ﬂuffy texture.
Design by owner Francesca Filanc

Pots of ice plant lend color and character to a ﬂight of
stone steps at Rancho La Puerta, Tecate, Mexico

105

A large terracotta pot planted with Aloe vanbalenii makes
a dramatic statement near a home’s entrance. The downward curving leaves of the aloe hug the pot and repeat the
rounded shape of its handles. Janice Byrne garden. Design by
Bill Teague

PLASTIC AND TERRACOTTA
If you are not sure what type of pot would be best, choose terracotta. Its neutral
color blends with any setting and does not call attention to itselfâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a good thing,
because pots are like picture frames: their purpose is to show off what is inside.
Anything plastic can strike a jarring note in a garden, perhaps because it is a
manufactured material that comes in colors seldom seen in nature. If you do use
plastic pots, look for those that closely resemble terracotta or cast concrete; you
have to touch (or lift) them to tell the difference.
Clay or porcelain pots provide good protection from temperature extremes,
which is important in hot climates, because roots of succulents grown in plastic
pots in full sun may bake. One way to avoid this is by setting a pot within a potâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;
place a plastic nursery pot inside a slightly larger terracotta pot, for example.

This makes it easy to switch plants when they are done blooming: simply slip a
new plant, still in its nursery pot, into the ornamental container. If the outer pot
has no drain hole, make sure the inner pot is elevated so its bottom does not sit
in water.
Terracotta pots ﬁred at a low temperature (typical of those made in Mexico)
are more porous, and when repeatedly soaked with water, they eventually crumble. Pots ﬁred at a high temperature (such as those made in Italy) are harder and
last much longer. Quality pots are usually more expensive to acquire, but the
investment is worth it, as high-ﬁred terracotta pots will look good and last for
years.

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Design and Cultivation

GEOMETRIC ARRANGEMENTS
What could be simpler than arranging identical small succulents in rows in a
square, shallow pot? Such geometric arrangements, which perfectly illustrate
the design principle of repetition, are bold, sophisticated, and eye-catching. The
key is to ďŹ nd the right pot; look for them at nurseries that sell bonsai supplies.

Six easy steps to potting succulent plants
1. Assemble your materials: plants in nursery pots (or cuttings that have
callused), potting soil, and ornamental containers.
2. Place a small stone or a piece of broken pot over the hole in the bottom
of the pot. This will prevent soil from washing out, without impeding
drainage. Another option is to patch the hole with a piece of plastic
window screen.
3. Fill the pot three-quarters full with potting mix. Mix in a small handful
of timed-release fertilizer.
4. Make a hole in the potting mix for the plant’s root ball, and then place
the largest and tallest succulent in the center of the pot. The base of the
plant and the top of the soil should be about 1 inch below the rim.
5. Cluster remaining plants or cuttings around the center plant, and then
add potting mix to ﬁll gaps.
6. Gently water the newly potted plants to wash soil off the leaves and
settle the roots.

Repotting tips
Most succulents and cacti need repotting every three to ﬁve years. But just
because a plant seems to have crowded its pot does not mean it is in need
of a new one; check the pot’s drain holes to see if they are massed with
roots. If none are evident, the plant may not need to be repotted.
Never pull a cactus or succulent out of its container—you might break it
off at the crown, severing it from its roots. Instead, turn the pot on its side
and slide the plant out. If a plant is ﬁrmly lodged in a plastic nursery container, squeeze the pot to loosen the roots. If it is stuck in a clay pot, turn
the whole thing upside down, and, as you cradle the plant with one hand,
gently tap the edge of the pot on a solid surface (such as a countertop), to
jar the root ball loose. Or push it from the bottom with a pencil through
the drain hole.
When removing a spiny plant from its container, wear leather gloves
and/or use kitchen tongs. You also may ﬁnd it helpful to wrap folded
newspaper or an old towel around the plant.
Prior to repotting, examine the roots and prune any that are broken or
coiled.

Pots, Wreaths, and Container Gardens

SOIL, SUN, AND FERTILIZER
Bagged soils designated for cacti and succulents are lighter than other potting
mixes and often contain lots of tiny white chunks of perlite; their purpose is to
keep the soil ﬂuffy and aerated. Perlite is also a soil extender—it takes up space
without adding nutrients. Since bags of perlite are cheaper than bags of potting
soil, an economical alternative is to buy each and mix them, using one part perlite to ﬁve parts potting soil. Or use pumice, which unlike perlite, will not ﬂoat
when the pot is watered.
Depending on your climate, you may want to lighten the mix even more. If, for
example, your pots are exposed to a great deal of rainfall, humidity, and cool temperatures—which means the soil does not dry out and tends to stay wetter than a
wrung-out sponge—add more pumice. To create a mix that retains water—which
is desirable in hot, dry, desertlike climates—add sharp (coarse) sand to the mix.
Most succulents growing in the garden do not need fertilizer, but those in pots
and wreaths will beneﬁt from the addition of a timed-release fertilizer to the potting mix, to give them a head start. Alternatively, apply a cactus and succulent
fertilizer according to package directions or use an all-purpose liquid fertilizer
diluted to one-quarter strength, every six weeks during the growing season (generally, spring and summer) but not at all during the plants’ dormancy (generally,
autumn and winter).

WATER AND DRAINAGE
Because succulents have thick, ﬂeshy leaves that store water, they do not need to
be watered as often as, say, a rosebush. Moreover, the thicker and juicier a plant’s
leaves, the more likely it will be damaged by over-watering. A succulent’s system
simply is not designed to handle excess water.
Several factors determine when or how often to water potted succulents: the
weather, the type of plant, the size of the pot, and how dry the soil is. Any pot
exposed to rainfall will not need supplemental water during the rainy season,
and the plant should be moved beneath an overhang if rainfall is excessive. In
summer and autumn—when the humidity is low, temperatures are high, and
rainfall nonexistent—most potted succulents appreciate regular water. In general, although succulents will tolerate a considerable amount of neglect, they
should not be allowed to go dry for weeks on end.
Good drainage is essential to the health of all potted plants—and succulents,
in particular, cannot tolerate having their roots sit in water. Drowned roots rot,
and then the plant dies. Granted, some succulents are more tolerant of wet conditions than others, but when in doubt, err on the dry side. It is not necessary to
create a gravel layer in the bottom of pots to enhance drainage. If your pots are
not draining well, it may be because they are sitting on soggy garden soil. Elevating pots also discourages snails and slugs from hiding in the drain holes.

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Design and Cultivation

Any container with succulents should have at least
one drain hole in the bottom, and if it has several,
so much the better. Avoid using pots that come with
built-in saucers that hold water. Also watch out for
pots with bottoms that are slightly convex, because
water that puddles around the inner edge can cause
roots to rot.
Aeoniums will rot when grown in soil that stays
soggy for prolonged periods, but remarkably, their
stems will root and grow indeﬁnitely in water. I
discovered this when I cut a half-dozen Aeonium
arboreum stalks to make what I thought would be
a short-lived bouquet. The stems and leaves looked
ﬁne at the end of the week, so as an experiment, I
kept them in the (opaque) vase, adding water as it
evaporated. After several months, the plants were
ﬁne and their stems were massed with roots.

When and how to water
Small pots dry out more quickly than large ones, and
tall pots dry out less rapidly than shallow ones. Press
your ﬁnger into the soil; if it is dry to a depth of several inches, or one-quarter of its height, it is time to
A terracotta pot sits on a cast iron trivet, which allows air
water. Another method is to push a wooden chopto circulate and protects the wood deck. Design by owner
stick into the soil, to the bottom of the pot. Pull it out,
Anne Samstad
and if the chopstick is damp and/or soil clings to it,
water is unnecessary.
It is a challenge to water a succulent that has grown completely over the top
of its pot. Submerge the pot to just above its rim in a tub or pail of water, and then
let excess water drain. This also is a good way to water plants that have gone so
dry that the soil is caked and hard. I have seen nursery owners submerge a newly
potted plant quickly, as though baptizing it. This soaks and settles the soil and
also cleans the leaves.
If your area has hard water, leaves that are splashed may become spotted as
water evaporates and deposits minerals. This is particularly noticeable on dark
succulents, such as Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’. Remove the white splotches
by gently wiping the leaves with a soft cloth soaked in distilled water.
Provide enough water so that it runs out the holes in the bottom of the pot,
thereby ﬂushing salts that have built up in the soil. If this is not possible because
the pot is indoors and is too heavy to move to a sink or bathtub, set a saucer
beneath the pot to catch drips. But do not let the water that drains out of the pot
remain in the saucer. Blot the excess with paper towels.

Pots, Wreaths, and Container Gardens

113

If prolonged exposure to moisture may damage the ﬂoor or tabletop beneath
your pots, elevate them to allow air circulation. One way to do this is with terracotta “feet” sold at nurseries; you will need three per pot.

CREATE A SUCCULENT WREATH OR TOPIARY
Most craft stores sell ready-to-plant wire forms for succulent wreaths. Topiary
suppliers also stock them, along with three-dimensional wire forms that range
from monkeys that can hang from tree limbs to cats with tails raised. Whether
you make a succulent wreath or a topiary, the method is similar.
Begin by assembling your cuttings. You want small, lightweight ﬂorets, rather
than branches so large they are out of proportion to the wire form or so heavy
their weight will pull them out. Leaves should range from about an inch in diameter down to the size of a bean. Remove the lower leaves, leaving 1 to 2 inches of
stem. Store the cuttings in a dry, shady place for a day or so to callus (form a thin
tissue of cells over the cut end). Plant them within a week, before leaves start to
shrivel.
The loveliest wreaths or topiaries often are the simplest, with just one or two
types of succulents, but variety also is intriguing. You can combine anywhere
from six to ten kinds of plants. One key to creating a pleasing mix is to choose
those with colorful foliage—red, lavender-pink, and yellow, for example.
Good succulents for topiaries and wreaths include
gray-green Aeonium haworthii, medium green
Crassula ovata ( jade), gray-green Crassula perforata,
dark green and white-striped Haworthia attenuata,
gray-lavender Kalanchoe pumila, feathery chartreuse
Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’, bright green Sedum kimnachii, celery green and white-webbed Sempervivum
arachnoideum, medium green Senecio rowleyanus
(string of pearls), and blue Senecio serpens.
To spice monochromatic wreaths, add contrasting
plants at regular intervals or group them like a bow.
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These might be a jade with colorful leaves, yellowand-green Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’, bronze-red
Sedum ×rubrotinctum, or bright red Crassula coccinea ‘Campﬁre’.
When making a topiary, consider how different
colors and textures of succulents might enhance or
emphasize various part of the design. For example,
the square pattern of a topiary turtle’s shell might
be outlined in ﬁne-leaved, magenta Sedum spurium
‘Dragon’s Blood’ or green, white, and pink S. spurium

This topiary handbag
has a handle of rosea ice
plant (Drosanthemum ﬂoribundum). Cuttings used
include assorted crassulas,
sedums, and echeverias.
Design by Margee Rader, the
Original Living Wreath, Bonsall, CA

114

Design and Cultivation

Succulents with colorful and contrasting leaves enhance a wreath. Design by Suzy Schaefer

‘Tricolor’. A dog’s ears and tail might be ﬂuffy S. acre, which resembles green
yarn.
If you plan to hang a wreath on a wall or door (rather than laying it ﬂat on
a tabletop or other surface), place mounding, low-growing sempervivums and
echeverias on the inside bottom curve and along the top. This will help preserve the wreath’s shape, because those plants stay compact. If you use varieties
that have an ever-lengthening habit, the center of the wreath will ﬁll in and the
top will elongate (unless of course you continually pinch the plants back). And
because succulents grow toward the sun, it may be necessary to rotate the topiary or wreath every week or so.
Add succulents with leaves that pop off easily (such as Sedum morganianum)
last, gently easing the stem into a hole you have made with a pencil or chopstick.

Pots, Wreaths, and Container Gardens

115
Professional topiary
designer Margee Rader
uses long-handled tweezers to insert cuttings into
a form tightly packed with
moss and wrapped with
wire.

This orb under construction has a design outlined with Crassula ovata;
Margee Rader will ďŹ ll gaps
with a tight mix of cuttings
with colorful leaves.

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Design and Cultivation

Make a 12-inch wreath
Assemble these materials:
Twelve-inch-diameter wire wreath frame, available at ﬂoral supply shops and crafts stores.
Several yards of monoﬁlament ﬁshing line or copper wire.
One or two bags of sheet moss (the moss is peeled off trees in sheets). Sphagnum also can be used,
but sheet moss has a fresh green color, ﬁne texture, and creates a carpetlike mat.
Bucket of water for soaking moss.
Four to six cups sterile, dampened potting soil. (This is optional; succulents will grow in moss alone.
I add soil to wreaths because it is easy to do, as wire wreath forms open like clamshells. It is much
more difﬁcult to get soil inside a wire topiary form. Succulents growing in moss alone will need
more frequent watering and regular applications of fertilizer.) Buy a bag of cactus/succulent
mix, or combine two cups peat moss, one cup perlite, and one teaspoon timed-release fertilizer
pellets.
A pencil or chopstick for poking holes.
One hundred (or so) succulent cuttings. As you assemble them, arrange them according to size, color,
texture, and shape, as you would add paint on a palette.
U-shaped ﬂorists’ pins (optional). If you do not want to wait until cuttings are rooted before hanging
the wreath, these pins will hold them in place.
After you have assembled your equipment, you can start building the wreath.
1. Open the wire wreath frame; you will have two sections that resemble a doughnut sliced lengthwise. Place the two halves on a waterproof work surface.
2. Soak the sheet moss in a bucket of water for several minutes. Squeeze several palm-sized pieces
gently to remove excess moisture, and then overlap them along the half-frames’ concave surfaces.
Place the sheet moss so the green side faces outward.
3. Mound one of the moss-lined half-frames with soil, pressing and shaping it with the palm of
your hand. If you are not using soil, pack the wire wreath frame tightly with moss.
4. Put the two halves back together. Secure them by wrapping the ﬁlled wreath frame with ﬁshing
line or copper wire, spaced at 1-inch intervals. When you are done, add a loop from which to hang
the ﬁnished wreath.
5. Using a chopstick or pencil, poke holes an inch or two deep for each cutting. Space them so no
gaps show or farther apart if you prefer a looser, lacier look. Secure cuttings with ﬂorists’ pins, if
desired. Otherwise, store the wreath ﬂat for a few weeks out of full sun, to give cuttings time to
root.

Pots, Wreaths, and Container Gardens

117

Caring for a wreath or topiary
Wreaths should be watered lightly, daily at ﬁrst after being newly planted. After
the cuttings root, water twice weekly or as needed to keep the moss evenly moist
but not soggy. Display the wreath on or against a ﬂat surface, such as a stone wall,
that will not be damaged by moisture.
A well-cared-for succulent wreath or moss-ﬁlled wire topiary will last for
years. Keep the form neat by pinching off new growth. If the arrangement feels
lightweight and/or is hard and dry, soak it in water. If you have an automatic irrigation system, you might want to extend a drip tube to the top of the wreath or
topiary so it will receive water at the same time as the rest of your garden.
Feed the wreath or topiary several times during late spring and summer
with a liquid fertilizer, per package directions. Once cuttings are rooted, keep
the wreath or topiary in full sun, unless temperatures soar (90°F or more) and
humidity is low. In this case, move the form into an area that is shaded during the
hottest part of the day.
Most succulents bloom during late winter, spring, or summer. If you let the
plants produce ﬂower spikes, your topiary or wreath will be more colorful, but
less tidy.

Margee Rader created this
topiary beach ball for a
display at the San Diego
County Fair. Stripes are
ﬂorets of blue-green echeverias and aeoniums, black
Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’, and red Crassula coccinea ‘Campﬁre’.

Chapter Five

Growing
Succulents in
Colder Climates

Agave parryi is one of the most cold hardy agaves.

119

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Design and Cultivation

It is possible to cultivate a succulent garden in less than ideal conditions, even in
areas prone to freezing temperatures and rainy winters. Many cold-hardy succulents thrive in regions that experience prolonged, hard frosts.
When water freezes at 32°F (0°C), it expands, which can burst plant cell walls
and turn them to mush. Those succulents that are frost-tolerant have salts in
their cellular ﬂuids that lower the temperature at which the ﬂuid freezes, or they
can handle the formation of ice within their cells.
Non-hardy succulents may survive freezing temperatures if their roots are
unharmed. But unlike perennials that continually replenish their leaves, frostburned succulents may appear shriveled and blackened for months—even years.
If this destroys the symmetrical shape and beauty of the plant, there may little
point in trying to salvage it.
The preferred temperature range for non-hardy succulents is 40° to 85°F, but
many will tolerate temperatures into the low 30s and highs in excess of 100°F
(when grown in semishade). Other ideal climate conditions include minimal
rainfall (fewer than 20 inches per year) and low humidity (the drier, the better).
If you live where temperatures occasionally dip below 32°F, but hard frosts are
rare, you may be able to cultivate tender succulents in the ground year-round—
providing you cover the plants when frost threatens or grow them in your garden’s warmer microclimates. A protected pocket can vary by several life-saving
degrees from an exposed area.

UNDERSTANDING MICROCLIMATES
Because cold air is heavier than warm air, it ﬂows downhill and pools in low
spots. To identify these cold pockets in your garden, notice where ice crystals
linger the longest after sunrise. Warm spots tend to be near boulders, structures,
trees, hardscape, and asphalt, which absorb heat from the sun during the day and
release it gradually at night.
Wind is a factor, too. Garden areas shielded by walls, hedges, or some other
windbreak will be warmer than those out in the open. Locations exposed to
northerly winds tend to be colder. But wind is not always a problem; air that
moves is less of a threat than air that is still, because movement keeps cold air
from settling around plants. Wind can make leaves more frost-resistant, because
it has a drying effect, and drier leaves contain less water. Good air circulation
also discourages pests and fungal diseases, to which succulents are prone in
damp climates. Excessive wind will cause desiccation, however, and if you are
sheltering your plants within a cold frame, in a greenhouse, or beneath a cover,
wind may cause greater heat loss by cooling the air around the structure.
Your garden’s warmest microclimate, and the best place to grow frost-tender
succulents in winter, is likely a sunny, south-facing area—ideally a slope backed
by a fence or retaining wall, protected by adjacent trees, and/or strewn with
boulders.

Growing Succulents in Colder Climates

121

HARD FROSTS AND WET WEATHER
If you live in zone 8 or below, the tender succulents growing in your garden likely
will have to be replaced from one year to the next or brought indoors in autumn.
If your succulents are potted, this makes the job easy—especially if large specimens are on wheeled stands or you have a dolly handy. Be sure to check plants
for insects, snails, and other pests you do not want to keep warm and snug all
winter.
Another option is to take plant cuttings or divisions in autumn, root them
indoors in pots or ﬂats during the winter, and then introduce the young plants to
your garden in spring. Small succulents also can be dug up—most can be uprooted
easily—then potted and over-wintered as houseplants.
Regardless of where you live, one way to landscape your garden with nonhardy succulents is to grow them in nursery pots submerged in the soil up to
the rims. As ﬁrst frost approaches, lift the pots out of the ground and bring them
inside—ideally into a place where the plants will spend the winter beneath timed
ﬂuorescent lights. Succulents also can be over-wintered in a greenhouse, providing it is well-ventilated and the humidity is low.
In spring, when you are ready to reintroduce the plants to the garden, acclimatize them gradually to outside temperatures and the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
Sunburn can cause permanent scarring, which is particularly a concern with

succulents that are thin-skinned or variegated. The best time to introduce your
potted succulents to the outdoors is during mild, cloudy weather. Place them
in bright shade, leave them there a few days, and then move them into partial—
and ﬁnally, full—sun. Cacti and succulents that do best in dappled shade during
the summer in the Southwest may prefer full sun in northern states, but keep in
mind that low-angled northern sun, at higher elevations, can be intense.
Excessive rainfall also is a concern. Succulents grown for prolonged periods in
soggy soils will rot. Evaluate your soil for its ability to drain well, and note which
areas of your garden are likely to stay drier. Plant on slopes or atop mounds of
soil amended with decomposed granite or pumice, and avoid planting in depressions or basins in which water collects. Also, remove decaying leaves that collect
in the crowns of succulents and on the surrounding ground. (It is not water that
causes rot, but fungus or bacteria in organic matter.) Mulch only with gravel or
fast-draining decomposed granite, and tent prized plants during rainstorms.

COPING WITH OCCASIONAL FROST
In my own garden (USDA climate zone 9), I cover vulnerable aeoniums, aloes,
kalanchoes, and Agave attenuata with bed sheets on those clear, still, midwinter
nights during which frost is predicted. Like my neighbors who own citrus and
avocado groves, I watch the news or check the Internet daily from November
through March to see if a “frost advisory” has been issued, which means temperatures will drop into the low 30s late at night and become progressively colder
until daybreak.
When a frost advisory is in effect for your area, before going to bed, blanket vulnerable succulents with a lightweight fabric or burlap. Do not use plastic,
because it traps moisture and intensiﬁes the heat of the morning sun—a combination that can be more harmful than a light frost. Also avoid any material heavier
than a bed sheet, especially when covering soft-leaved succulents; the weight of
the fabric can break or crease leaves, causing permanent damage. Remove the
fabric as soon as possible after sunrise so the plants can dry and trapped moisture can evaporate.
You can create a temporary canopy with tree branches, too. Push the cut ends
of branches into the soil, so that the leaves arch up and over the plants you want
to protect. Remove the branches if the weather turns wet, as they will hold moisture and drop decaying leaves.
Frost-tender succulents also can be protected with cold frames or ﬂoating
row covers. With the latter, arched, ﬂexible poles create a tunnel over the plants.
This in turn is covered with a lightweight fabric (sold by the roll at garden centers), which is translucent and porous, allowing sunlight to shine through and

Growing Succulents in Colder Climates

moisture to evaporate. Lay the material over the plants and secure the edges by
weighing them with stones, bricks, or two-by-fours.
If the forecast is for light frost night after night (temperatures may dip below
freezing, but only brieﬂy), and you do not want to bother covering and uncovering plants repeatedly, skirt them with fabric for the duration. The temperature inside the screen will stay higher than that of the surrounding air by several
degrees, which may be all that is needed. Place ¼-inch-diameter wood dowels,
metal rods, or bamboo or redwood plant stakes at least 18 inches tall (taller, if
you are protecting a big plant) in the ground at 2-foot intervals. Use clothespins
to attach fabric to the rods as you wrap it around them, forming a vertical screen.
This will create somewhat of a windbreak, too, but obviously will not stand up to
high winds. It also may not prevent frost from burning the tips of the leaves.
Winter weather that is most threatening to succulents is rain followed by
frost, because plant cells are engorged with water. New growth is particularly
vulnerable. Often—especially with aloes—the tips of pointed leaves freeze, but
the rest of the plant is ﬁne. These tips will remain dry and shriveled, which does
not harm the plant but may compromise its appearance. Irrigate your tender succulents infrequently during the colder months to decrease their water content
and increase the salt-to-water ratio of cellular ﬂuid.

Frost indicators
When winter temperatures begin to dip into the 30s, be vigilant. All it takes is
a few hours below freezing to cause lasting damage to tender succulents. Take
measures to protect your plants when these conditions are evident:
The air is still.
There is no cloud cover.
Stars glitter.
Humidity is low.
The moon is new or full.
The soil is dry and cold.
Daytime temperatures do not exceed 75°F.
An arctic air mass or cold front impacts the area.
The dew point (the temperature at which moisture in the air condenses into
dew) is close to freezing.

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How Thomas Hobbs over-winters his garden
Garden designer Thomas Hobbs of Vancouver, British Columbia, brings his garden’s succulents
indoors in October and replants them outdoors in March. This excerpt from The Jewel Box Garden
(2004) offers his advice.
***
The trend of gardening with masses of non-hardy succulents is limited by the fear of winter. What
do you do with them then? They are too beautiful to be considered disposable. All they need is bright
light and an above-freezing windowsill to hang in there until spring. Lack of light in winter will result
in stretched growth and very unattractive plants. Lower leaves will turn yellow, then papery and need
constant removal. If you cannot provide a very bright location for winter storage of your succulents,
give them to someone who can, or set up a grow light in the basement or an unused area. Keep the
plants very close to the tubes if these are ﬂuorescent, and watch for stretching.
Gardeners with hundreds of Echeverias
(they multiply like rabbits!) stash them in
plastic ﬂats, not pots. At my house, I call this
“Operation Echeveria Lift.” Around Halloween, helpers from my nursery come with our
big truck and we begin scooping them up with
our bare hands. We place them tightly beside
each other in plastic nursery ﬂats and spend
the next month cleaning them up. We check
for insect grubs, slugs and rot, then group the
plants by variety and place them, root ball and
all, in ﬂats. They spend the winter in semihibernation in a barely heated but bright
greenhouse. They receive much less water
(maybe once a week) and are allowed to rest.
Around March 1, I begin fertilizing again.
A liquid feed of 20-20-20 at half my usual
strength wakes them up. The increased light
that spring brings really turns these plants
on! Struggling specimens suddenly perk up
and look happy. Once all danger of frost has
passed, I place the ﬂats of Echeverias out in
the sun to “harden off” for a month or so. This
direct sun brings out the subtle coloring and
individuality of each variety. Then it is time
Assorted echeverias and graptoverias in Hobbs’s Vancouto play!
ver garden. Photo by Allan Mandell

Growing Succulents in Colder Climates

INDOOR CULTIVATION
Succulents least likely to survive frost tend to be those that adapt best to indoor
culture. Unlike cold-tolerant succulents, non-hardy succulents do not require a
hard frost as part of their natural cycle, and they thrive in the same conditions
that make humans comfortable. A minimum 10-degree difference in temperature between day and night will encourage ﬂowering.
Succulents grown as houseplants must have bright light. Position them beneath
a skylight or near a window, making sure that sunlight magniﬁed by window
glass does not burn the leaves. Place pots a few feet away from the window, or
cover the glass with a sheer curtain or translucent blind. Rotate the plants every
few days, so they will grow upright. Succulents etiolate (lengthen and become
spindly) as they stretch toward a light source, which compromises their geometric shapes.
Avoid placing potted succulents near indoor spas, humidiﬁers, or showers
that generate a lot of steam. Plants that stay damp are prone to mildew, and minimal air circulation makes leaves a breeding ground for pests such as mealybugs.
Cacti, in particular, need good air circulation; if possible, place them near windows that can be opened during the warmest hours of the day.
Succulents do nicely on a sun porch, and if it has a stone, tile, or brick ﬂoor
that cannot be damaged by spilled soil or water, so much the better. But potted
succulents grown indoors during their winter dormancy do not require much
water—once a week, to moisten the soil, is plenty. Let them go dry, or nearly so,
between waterings.

COLD-CLIMATE SUCCULENTS
More than 50 varieties of Opuntia and more than a dozen varieties of Echinocereus cacti will grow where temperatures drop below zero—according to members
of the Ottawa Cactus Club, who have grown and tested them in their gardens.
For example, Mammillaria vivipara (syn. Coryphantha vivipara), a globular rock
garden plant with white spines and showy purple-pink ﬂowers, is very hardy; it
grows wild in Alberta, Canada, and as far south as Texas.
A few large succulents will tolerate temperatures to zero and below. Among
them are Yucca ﬁlamentosa, Y. ﬂaccida, Y. glauca, Y. gloriosa, Y. harrimaniae, and
Y. schottii; and Agave havardiana, A. lechuguilla, A. neomexicana, A. parryi, A.
toumeyana, and A. utahensis.
Aloe polyphylla, the only aloe that thrives in temperatures well below freezing, is one of the rarest. It is arguably the most beautiful aloe, because its green,
triangular leaves form a ﬂattened whorl that resembles a lavish bow. It is native
to the high mountains of Lesotho, South Africa, and is in danger of extinction. It
does not mind being buried beneath snow, but it must have exceptionally welldrained soil. Aloe polyphylla may never be common in the hot, dry Southwest, but

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Aloe polyphylla

as it becomes more readily available, it likely will be a prized addition to gardens
in colder climates.
Delosperma cooperi, an ice plant that produces magenta ﬂowers and makes an
excellent ground cover, is tolerant of both heat and cold and is hardy from zones
5 through 11. A yellow-blooming variety reputed to be even more cold-tolerant
is D. nubigenum.
Lewisia cotyledon (zones 6 through 10) is an alpine wildﬂower native to the
Northwest. The genus was named after its discoverer, explorer Meriwether
Lewis. Lewisia cotyledon prefers full sun to part shade in warm climates and
well-drained soil. Water minimally in winter or plants may rot. Lewisias belong
to the Portulacaceae and like hot, dry summers. Plants produce daisylike white,
pink, or apricot-yellow ﬂowers atop 12-inch burgundy-red stems in spring and
summer (year-round along the Paciﬁc coast). Lewisia cotyledon sold in nurseries include white and pink ‘Siskiyou’ varieties, which are hardy to zone 3, and
L. rediviva, which is hardy in zones 4 through 8.
Orostachys species are intriguing succulents for containers and rock gardens.
Bright green rosettes about 2 inches in diameter elongate into tall, conical ﬂower
spikes in autumn. Plants are monocarpic (they die after ﬂowering), but offsets
take their place. Hardy to -32°F, they grow best in well-drained soil in partial
shade.
Rhodiola often is lumped with Sedum, but the former is a separate genus that
includes about 50 species of ﬂeshy perennials with rhizomatous roots. Many rhodiola resemble large sedums and form masses of plants with multiple stems covered with slender, often toothed leaves. Individual star-shaped ﬂowers bloom in
cream, red, orange, or yellow. Most rhodiola originated in northern Europe, the

Himalayas, Tibet, Afghanistan, Mongolia, or China and therefore thrive in colder
parts of North America as well as Canada. (They most often are seen in Pennsylvania, New York, Maine, and Vermont.) Among the most common is roseroot
(R. rosea, zones 2 through 9), which produces tightly massed pink ﬂowers on 12inch stems in summer. The roots smell like roses.
Sedum (stonecrop), though naturalized in the United States, is native to
Europe. Widely cultivated sedums that are cold-tolerant and that, remarkably,
will grow in most zones include the following ﬁne-leaved ground covers (2 to 5
inches): S. acre (goldmoss sedum), which has light green leaves and clusters of
yellow ﬂowers; S. album, which spreads readily and can be invasive; and S. anglicum, which has dark green leaves a mere V-inch long.
Shrublike sedums that grow to 18 inches tall, thrive in zones 5 through 10,
and die to the ground in winter include Sedum spectabile, which has 3-inch-long
blue-green leaves and domed ﬂower clusters that come in a variety of colors; and

S. telephium, which resembles S. spectabile but has narrower, gray-green leaves.
Both perennials die to the ground after ﬂowering.
Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’ (Angelina stonecrop) (zones 7 through 10), forms
a frilly mat of chartreuse and golden yellow leaves that turn rust-red at the tips
when stressed. Clusters of starry yellow ﬂowers appear in summer. This versatile plant makes a great ground cover and is striking when massed. Use it to create rivers of color amid ﬂowerbeds, as a border, and in juxtaposition with plants
with deep red ﬂowers and foliage. It is also lovely cascading from a container or
tucked into a stone wall.
Sedum spurium is a ground-hugging succulent with dark green or bronzy
leaves about an inch long; it spreads to 2 feet or more. In late summer, domeshaped ﬂower clusters appear and mature into pink ﬂowers. Sedum spurium
‘Dragon’s Blood’ has purple-bronze leaves and burgundy blooms; S. spurium ‘Tricolor’ is variegated green, cream, and rosy pink; and S. spurium ‘Bronze Carpet’
is a rich coppery green. All effectively add color to rock gardens, containers, and
patterned plantings.
Sempervivum, or houseleek, is perhaps the best-known genus of the frost-tolerant succulents. The plants commonly are called hen and chicks, because small
offsets nestle around the mother plant. They are attached by slender stems; once
the little plants root, they become independent. Sempervivum arachnoideum
(commonly called cobweb houseleek, zones 5 through 10) has pointed leaf tips
webbed with white threads. These catch dew during spells of drought to keep
the plant hydrated.
Sempervivum is related to Jovibarba, a genus that looks similar but has bellshaped, pale yellow ﬂowers. Cultivation requirements are the same, except Jovibarba is less tolerant of prolonged wet conditions. Jovibarba hirta (also known in
the nursery trade as Sempervivum hirta) and J. sobolifera (S. sobolifera) are native
to the Soviet Union and are exceptionally cold-tolerant.

A bryophyllumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leaves are massed with plantlets ready to drop off and take root.

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Succulent gardens require much less care than lawns,
ﬂowerbeds, and pruned hedges. However, all plants
are living things and change over time. As your garden’s artistic director, you have the job—and, hopefully, pleasure—to make sure those changes happen
when, where, and how you want them.
Keep your garden looking good year-round with
minimal effort with the following practical methods
for planting and grooming, controlling weeds and
pests, and propagating plants.

IN-GROUND PLANTING TIPS
Prior to planting, spade compacted soil to loosen it,
so roots will penetrate easily. When transplanting a
succulent from its nursery pot, dig a hole deep enough
to cover its roots, once they have been freed from
the pot and untangled. Elevate the crown slightly to
compensate for sinking later on. As soon as the plant
is situated, tamp the dirt around its base, and then
water well to settle the roots. (If a succulent has yet
to establish roots or is dormant, withhold water for
several weeks to prevent rotting.)
Instead of trying to slide an Agave guiengola out of its
When planting nursery ﬂats of succulent ground
nursery pot—which might have broken the top of the
covers, use a trowel to dig holes several inches deep
plant away from its roots—landscapers sliced open the
and about a foot apart. Separate the plants, insert one
pot with an ax. The next step is to spread and prune the
into each hole, and press the loose soil gently around
plant’s coiled roots.
the roots to anchor them.
Succulents that are large (several feet high and equally wide) can be surprisingly heavy. Lifting and moving them is a two-person job, even with the help of
a dolly or wheeled cart. When working with any large spiny or prickly plant,
wear elbow-length leather gloves and eye protection. Professional landscapers,
when transporting “armed and dangerous” succulents, wrap them in carpet remnants—which protects the plants as well as the people.
When planting a small cactus, wrap it with a towel folded so that you can lift
the plant with the ends, or simply hold it with kitchen tongs. Basketball-sized
spherical cacti, such as golden barrels (Echinocactus grusonii), can be moved by
rolling them onto a beach towel, which serves as a sling. Larger cacti, though
highly desirable, are much more challenging to relocate. The safest and most
efﬁcient way is to carry the plant on a stretcher—not the kind used to transport
injured people, but one constructed of rigid boards that can support the plant’s
weight. Though it takes two to lift it, a stretcher is better than a wheelbarrow,

Plant Care and Propagation

because it can be placed on the ground next to the plant, which is rolled onto it.
To lift a large cactus, lasso it with a rope thick enough (at least an inch in diameter) not to cut the plant’s ﬂesh. When the plant is in position, use the rope to
hold it while a helper ﬁlls in the soil in the planting hole beneath it. Give newly
transplanted cacti four to six weeks to settle in before watering them.

WEED CONTROL
Spring brings abundant growth. Plants that have been dormant all winter produce
new leaves, ﬂowers, and eventually seeds. Unfortunately, when garden plants are
at their most lush, so are weeds. What begins as a few green sprouts ends up a
dense thicket that rapidly goes to seed to ensure its survival the following year.
In a succulent garden, yanking weeds means working around thorny aloes and
agaves, disturbing shallow-rooted sempervivums, and accidentally popping the
leaves off graptopetalums. But weeds must be removed; they compromise the
beauty of the garden and rob prized plants of sunlight, water, and nutrients.
Weeds tend to be more of a problem wherever soil is exposed, because seeds
need sun to germinate. Succulent ground covers work well to keep weeds under
control, but they take time to ﬁll in. Until they do, the best way to deprive weed
seeds of sunlight is to mulch bare ground. You can do this with shredded bark,
pebbles, gravel, or decomposed granite—whatever looks natural and is best suited
to your climate and terrain. (Bear in mind that organic mulches generally are not
the best choice for cacti and succulents.) Those few weeds that sprout in mulch
are easy to pull, because their roots are not cemented into hard soil.
I do not have much of a weed problem in my half-acre garden, even in exposed
areas and dirt pathways, because I deal with weeds six months before they
sprout. I sprinkle a powdered preemergent herbicide (which prevents seeds
from germinating) on any bare spots, including pathways. This is one of the few
garden chemicals that I ﬁnd essential. I buy a 25-pound sack of preemergent
from a nursery or agricultural supplier in December—earlier, if rain is forecast—
and spread it wherever I do not want to pull weeds, come spring. The downside
is that no seeds from desirable plants will germinate in those areas, but I believe
that is a small sacriﬁce.
What should you do if you have not spread preemergent herbicide, and spring
is fast approaching? Be vigilant, and hoe the soil as soon as you see uninvited slivers of green. At that point, weeds are young, tender, and lightly rooted. In areas
where a hoe is too large, you can disturb the soil with a trowel or even a steel ﬁle
or spackling knife. This may seem tedious, but the larger a weed gets, the more
difﬁcult it will be to remove.
If weeds are growing amid cactus or other spiny plants, and it is impossible
to pull those weeds without injuring yourself, use a long, slender brush to paint
as many weed leaves as you can reach with glyphosate (one commercial brand

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is Roundup). Do not spray the herbicide if some may land on your prized plants.
Contrary to wishful thinking, glyphosate does indeed harm succulents and
cacti.
If weeds have gotten away from you, and the task of eliminating them seems
overwhelming, at least do the minimum: Remove any ﬂower buds or seed heads.
This is more important than uprooting the plant, which you can do later or simply let it die at the end of its annual growth cycle. (In fact, if erosion is a concern,
roots of annual weeds should be left in the soil.) The urgent need is to prevent
weeds from setting seed, because once they do, you will have to contend with
their numerous offspring the following year.
Be sure to bag all weeds and send them out with the trash. Do not leave them
lying on the ground or add them to your compost pile.

GROOMING YOUR PLANTS
Remove any dirt and leaves that have fallen onto the crowns of rosette succulents to keep them tidy and prevent moisture accumulation that may cause tissue
damage. An occasional blast with the jet setting of a pistol sprayer works nicely.
If rainfall is minimal in your area, hose down all your succulents from time to
time; a good cleaning will diminish pests as well as dust.
Aloes, aeoniums, agaves, yuccas, and other succulents send up long-lasting
bloom spikes that are a joy to behold, but eventually they become unsightly as
the blooms fade. When deadheading, cut the stalk where it emerges from the
plant. Of course, the entire plant also will need to be removed if it dies after ﬂowering. A few succulents, particularly senecios, have insigniﬁcant blooms that, to
me, look messy and should be removed. On the other hand, two that delight me
are snipped and discarded by other gardeners: the minaret-like spires that elongate Kalanchoe luciae and Crassula coccinea ‘Campﬁre’. These stretch the plants
and eventually ruin them—but not if you sever the budding stems as they form.
(This does not work with monocarpic plants such as agaves and aeoniums; once
the plants gear up for ﬂowering, they die regardless.)
Aeonium trunks tend to look a bit naked when they reach 12 inches high or
more. Snap off the rosettes several inches below the foliage, allow the cuttings
to callus, and then replant; they will root readily. Either uproot and discard the
gangly trunks, or wait to see if they resprout multiple branches—they often do,
but not always.
If agaves are growing near a path or anywhere their sharp terminal spines
might pose a danger, you can snip the thorny tips (about ¼ inch) off the leaves
without detracting from the symmetry of the plant. Should you need to remove
an agave leaf that is damaged or encroaching on a walkway, cut it off as close to
the trunk as possible. Try to avoid partially removing a leaf from any succulent;
the blunted end will call attention to itself and diminish the beauty of the plant.

Plant Care and Propagation

Some succulents, notably aloes, have lower leaves
that curve downward, remaining on their stems.
These dry leaves provide protection from sunburn
and frost, so if those are concerns, keep the leaves;
otherwise, if you ﬁnd them unsightly, peel them
away.
Watch for pups that sprout near aloes and agaves.
Remove them if they encroach where they are not
wanted, and replant them where they are.

HAIL AND SNAILS
Two of the most damaging things that can befall succulents growing out in the open happen to rhyme.
There is nothing you can do about hail, unfortunately, because it is sudden and unpredictable. In a
matter of seconds, it pockmarks succulent leaves—
soft-leaved agaves are particularly susceptible—giving them a freckled look. These blemishes do not go
away, and since leaves on succulents can persist for
several years, hail damage is truly unfortunate.
Snails cause long-lasting and unsightly damage,
too—sometimes latching onto a leaf and eating a hole
right through it. Or they will eat their way across a A brown helix snail exits the scene of the crime.
leaf, leaving a scar. When they nibble black Aeonium
arboreum ‘Zwartkop’, it looks sadly frayed, its exposed tissue white against the
dark foliage. To tidy a snail-bitten aeonium, remove damaged leaves by pinching
them where they join the stem.
Snails are insidious. During the day, they sleep in leaf litter or on the undersides
of leaves. At night and on drizzly days, they emerge to eat their ﬁll. Of the several
snail solutions, none is ideal. You can hand-pick them, but this means extreme
vigilance, or their population will explode before you know it. You may not think
you have a snail problem in March, but by mid-April, you will ﬁnd them everywhere. So start early, and look for young ones. By the time they are as big as your
thumbnail, they are large enough to lay eggs. I simply step on them, but if you are
squeamish, don latex gloves, gather snails in a trash bag, and tightly tie the top.
Another approach is to spread a granular poison that kills snails. This is a
concern if you have pets, and even “pet-safe” brands may harm songbirds and
beneﬁcial insects. Moreover, snail bait is expensive, and it has to be reapplied
continually. Do not assume you can spread snail bait once in April and the job is
done. Four to six weeks later, the snails will resurge, and you will be back at the
store, buying more.

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I do not recommend using barriers to keep snails out, except copper bands
on tree trunks; nor do I advocate placing shallow bowls of beer in the garden.
However, if you provide snails with a dark, damp, cavelike shelter—such as an
overturned clay pot—they will go into it. This is satisfying, until you realize the
dozen or so in the pot represent a tiny percent of your garden’s population. Geese
eat snails, but I ﬁgure a large bird in my garden would cause more problems than
it solves.
What works best for me is, I regret to say, not an option for everyone. I release
beneﬁcial decollate snails throughout my garden (about one decollate snail per
square foot). They do not nibble the leaves of healthy plants but rather feed on
decaying matter, and—more importantly—the eggs and young of brown helix
snails. Decollates have conical shells and are about an inch long. They are not
inexpensive, but in the long run, they cost less than snail bait. They also are a
natural rather than a chemical solution. The downside is that it takes a while for
decollates to get established, during which time helix snails continue to do irreversible damage. Moreover, you still have to hand-pick mature helix snails; the
alternative is to wait for them to die a natural death.
Six weeks before releasing decollate snails, reduce the helix snail population by spreading snail bait. Never spread snail bait once you have introduced
decollates. I reintroduce decollates during every winter rainy season, because
their population seems to wane—perhaps they have been preyed upon by birds
or rodents, or they move on. Helix snails, on the other hand, need no assistance
reintroducing themselves.
Decollates are approved in some parts of the country, but not in others, for
fear they will disrupt the ecological balance. Not that much seems to be in balance any more; helix snails, for example, are not native. Their origin is shrouded
in the murk of history, but one theory is that they were introduced as a potential
food source. Indeed, that is the only control measure I have yet to try.

HARMFUL INSECTS
Just when I have led you to the conclusion that the only answer to keeping your
succulents beautiful is to grow them indoors, let me caution you about mealybugs and scale. Plants that do not receive good air circulation and that grow in a
humid environment are prone to sucking insects. Succulents in the garden also
attract aphids or thrips when ﬂowering buds are young and tender.
Mealybugs look like bits of cotton ﬂuff; scale are hard, oval brown bumps; and
aphids and thrips are pinhead-sized, soft-bodied insects that chew and destroy
new tissue. Mealybugs usually can be spotted in leaf axils, but they sometimes
attach themselves to roots. Scale, on the other hand, tends to latch onto stems
and the underside of leaves. Plants with a severe mealybug or scale infestation
should be destroyed, lest the pests spread to healthy plants. Discard the soil and
wash the pot thoroughly before reusing it.

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Plant Care and Propagation

Insecticides can be sprayed on mealybugs, thrips,
scale, and other pesky insects, but I simply use rubbing alcohol instead. I keep it handy in a spray bottle,
ready to go at the ﬁrst sign of a problem. A ﬁne, light
spray of alcohol does no damage to succulent leaves
and kills the bugs instantly.
Aloes are prone to aloe mite, a microscopic insect
that causes tissues near the stem to grow lumpy
and distorted. Unfortunately, no cure is known, and
affected plants or portions thereof must be removed
and destroyed to prevent infestation of neighboring
plants. Any tools that may have touched diseased tissue must be cleaned and disinfected.
If your succulents are damaged by rot, you can try
to salvage the plant by cutting out the damaged area
and replanting the healthy tissue. During a record wet
winter in my garden, the roots of a handsome clump
of Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ succumbed to rot. At ﬁrst, the
tops of the plants seemed ﬁne, but the ﬂorets gradually shrank in size, until what was a lush mini-forest
looked wan and spindly. When I pressed the stems,
they were ﬁrm at the top and soft at the bottom. I
pulled the entire clump from the soil, discarded the
decayed tissue, and cut the stems to salvage the ﬂorets, retaining several ﬁrm, healthy inches. The cuttings since have rooted and are thriving.

Cotyledon buds, damaged by aphids, may not open.

This unsightly, cancerous
growth is caused by aloe
mite.

140

Design and Cultivation

PROPAGATION
The majority of succulents are winter-dormant, so the best time to propagate
them is in spring, as they begin their active growth cycle and before summer heat
intensiﬁes. Autumn is the best time to start summer-dormant succulents, such as
aeoniums, haworthias, sempervivums, and senecios.
Get new plants off to a good start in pots or ﬂats. Any commercial cactus mix
will do, but you can make your own. The Huntington Botanical Gardens formula
is two parts forest humus, two parts pumice, one part builders’ sand, plus trace
amounts of superphosphate and cottonseed meal.
Place pots and ﬂats in a warm, sheltered nursery area of your garden that
receives bright light but no full sun during the hottest part of the day. When
young plants are well rooted, you can transplant them into the garden. Once in
the ground, for the ﬁrst week or so, they should be protected from harsh sun;
shade them with empty nursery ﬂats or dry, twiggy tree branches. Or simply
move a piece of garden furniture so it is between plants and sun at midday. Mulch
with gravel to help cool the soil surface and slow evaporation.
At the base of the slender, gel-ﬁlled leaves of Bulbine frutescens is a stem along
which grow spaghetti-shaped tuberous roots. These are either in the ground, partially exposed, or entirely exposed, depending on how friable and moist the soil is.
(If the ground is dry and hard, the plant’s runners tend to be more accessible.) To
propagate B. frutescens, dig a trench several inches deep and a foot or so long. Lay
one or two rhizomatous stems into it and cover with soil, with leaves exposed.
Propagation in commercial nurseries and at botanical gardens takes place
in temperature-controlled greenhouses, beneath ﬁxtures that provide artiﬁcial
sunlight. Professionals also have methods of collecting, labeling, storing, and
germinating seeds, and they follow prescribed schedules for repotting plants in

Bulbine frutescens roots

Plant Care and Propagation

successively larger containers. Since most of this is beyond what home gardeners are willing or able to do, the methods described here are most useful for the
novice.
Keep in mind that perhaps more than any other type of plant, succulents are
easy to propagate. More often than not, if you study the plant, how it reproduces
will become obvious.

Cuttings
Propagation by cuttings is a process that needs no special skill or tools. If you
have started geraniums from cuttings, you know how to propagate succulents
with stems. Cleanly cut several inches of stem with leaves attached, using garden
shears, scissors, or a sharp knife. The stem should have at least two nodes (the
thickened area where leaves emerge): one to produce roots, the other for leaves.
Because the cut end is raw and open, give it several days to heal—the tissue that
forms over the end is called callus. Although some books recommend dipping
stems into sulphur to discourage fungus or in rooting hormone to promote cellular growth, I do not bother.
If you delay planting the cuttings, after a week or so, roots may grow anyway—
into thin air. Succulents are able to reverse the ﬂow of growth, sending nutrients
from stems and leaves into root formation. As this happens, leaves will shrivel,
but as soon as new roots take hold, leaves will plump and the plant will thrive.
Some succulents, notably Aeonium haworthii, form whiskery aerial roots
along the undersides of stems. These are attempting to connect with the soil, so
all you have to do is help them. Dig a shallow trench and lay the stem in it, rootside down; then cover with dirt.
Fat-leaved graptopetalums, pachyphytums, and some non-hybrid echeverias will form roots and even tiny new plants at the base of dropped leaves. To
encourage this, rest the leaf, stem-end down, atop potting soil. Keep soil moist
but not soggy; mother leaves and their offspring tend to rot easily.
Remember that when handling cuttings from euphorbias, you should wear
gloves and eye protection; the milky sap is caustic.

Division
Uprooting (or unpotting) an overgrown clump and pulling the stems and roots
apart is called division. Sometimes roots are so dense and tangled they have to be
sawn apart—which often is the case with overgrown sansevierias.
Divide offsets by cutting or wiggling them loose from the parent, and then
peel away any old, dry leaves. When you plant the offspring, space them so they
will have room to reproduce on their own.
Rhizomes are ﬂeshy underground roots from which new plants sprout. These
pups are a bonus if you want them and a nuisance if you do not. In any case,
propagation is easy: simply dig up the new plant, and it is ready to replant else-

141

142

Design and Cultivation

where. Agave americana launches vigorous rhizomes laterally under the soil,
which soon results in a cluster of smaller pups nestled at its base. I have seen A.
americana pups pop up several feet from the mother plant, which seems to look
demurely the other way, as though to say, “Those are not mine!”
I made the mistake of planting Aloe saponaria in my succulent tapestry, which
has a geometric arrangement. Now that the succulents in the tapestry have ﬁlled
in, I do very little weeding, except to remove A. saponaria pups growing where I
do not want them. The soil in the bed is loose and sandy, so I grab the pup ﬁrmly
at its base and lift up. This exposes a rhizome about ½-inch thick, which, like an
umbilical cord, connects the young plant to its mother. I cut the rhizome at the
base of the parent plant and discard the offspring.

Bulbils and plantlets
Bulbils are tiny plants that grow along bloom spikes. Perhaps the most dramatic
examples are agaves and furcraeas that literally pump their life force into tall,
multi-ﬂowered stalks. After each ﬂower drops its petals, its base (ovary) swells

These Agave americana ‘Marginata’ plants are young, but
their rhizomatous roots have already spawned pups.

Plantlets grow along the edges of a bryophyllum.

Plant Care and Propagation

Expert Marylyn Henderson beheads a rufﬂed echeveria.

143

A beheaded echeveria has sprouted roots and is ready to
be planted.

and produces leaves, creating one of many tiny replicas of the mother. The parent
plant’s demise continues to help the propagation process; when it collapses and
the ﬂower spike falls, it propels hundreds of young plants onto the ground.
Some smaller succulents, such as Haworthia attenuata and ground cover
Crassula multicava, also produce new plants on the tips of ﬂower spikes. When
this slender stalk gets heavy, it lowers its burden to the soil, where the young
plant—which by then may have sprouted roots—takes hold.
Kalanchoes in the Bryophyllum genus form plantlets along their scalloped leaf
margins, giving them a rufﬂed look; these drop by the dozens and take root. Some
gardeners consider such abundance a nuisance, and indeed it can be. On the plus
side, if these young plants are allowed to mature, they produce lovely parasols of
bell-shaped ﬂowers.

Beheading
Leggy aeoniums and showy hybrid echeverias—those that resemble rufﬂed cabbages—are best propagated by having their “heads” cut off. This sounds drastic, but it is easy to do and rewarding. As the plant grows, its stem elongates,
which is not as attractive as a tight rosette with no stem showing. When you tire
of looking at the ungainly stem, remove any shriveled leaves from the base of
the rosette. With a sharp knife, slice horizontally through the stem, severing the
rosette about an inch below its base. Place the rosette in a sheltered, shady area,
ideally upright with its bottom leaves resting atop an empty pot. In ten days or so,
the cut end will have callused and sprouted roots. Pot it in fresh soil.
Do not discard the original plant’s decapitated stem. Keep it in its pot and
tend it as when it was intact. New rosettes may grow from one or more leaf axils.
When these are 2 or 3 inches in diameter, remove and plant them.

Large succulents border a lawn and serve as a backdrop for smaller specimens.
On the left is a Dracaena draco tree in bloom; behind it is Aloe barberae.
Abby Sher garden (Modelo Shales), PaciďŹ c Palisades, CA. Photo by Deidra Walpole

147

148

Plant Palette

Large succulents are useful as backdrops and garden focal points. When mature,
most are able to store enough water in their tissues to survive on rainfall alone.
A solo dasylirion, with its fountainlike spray of slender leaves, or an agave
the size of a Volkswagen, may serve as the perfect enhancement for a sunny garden corner—indeed, because of their dramatic sculptural shapes, they may be the
only plants needed. Because succulents such as these are impossible to prune
without damaging their superb geometry, and because they have sharp tips, do
not plant them within 6 feet of a pathway, stairway, sidewalk, or driveway.
Whether columnar or branching, succulent trees balance a landscape’s overall composition and add important vertical interest. Position them where their
silhouettes will show to advantage against the sky or an uncomplicated backdrop, such as a blank expanse of wall, a stone terrace, or a large boulder. Unless
your intent is to create a geometric arrangement, avoid aligning them like telephone poles.
Large succulents also offer practical advantages. During hot, dry weather, they
protect soft-leaved understory plants from excessive sun; in winter, they radiate
warmth. They also create less leaf litter than deciduous trees, which means a
tidier garden and less likelihood that organic matter will fall into rosette-shaped
succulents and cause them to rot.

Agave
Agave americana (10 to 15 feet tall and as wide) is commonly called century plant,
because it seems to take a century to bloom (though it actually ﬂowers after a
decade or so). The plant’s long, tapered, blue-green leaves are 6 to 10 inches
wide, grow to 6 feet long, and are tough and leathery, with hooked prickles along
the edges and sharp pointed tips. Pups enlarge the plants’ domain indeﬁnitely.
Agave americana and its hybrids are native to Mexico and are also found from
the Southwest to Florida. Flower spikes that rise to 20 feet are massed with
upright yellow blooms on branched stems. Like all agaves, A. americana dies after
ﬂowering, and because plants become immense, they can be difﬁcult to remove.
When positioning any large agave, bear in mind you will eventually contend with
deﬂated, thorny foliage and a ﬂower spike the size of a sailboat mast. Fortunately,
only the ﬂowering rosette dies; the pups remain to carry on.
The best thing about Agave americana it that it thrives with no care at all. Like
cactus, it handles drought like a dromedary. It also does not mind frost, blazing sun, or poor soil. It makes an excellent ﬁller for slopes where nothing else
will grow and for any area that receives little or no irrigation. The downside is
that this large agave is the alligator of the plant world—cute when small; aggressive, sharp-toothed, and unmanageably large when mature. Plant A. americana
where it will have plenty of room and where it will not encroach on sidewalks,
roadways, street signs, mailboxes, stairways, or children’s play areas. The plant is
deﬁnitely not kid-friendly. For safety’s sake, snip off its needlelike leaf tips with
garden shears.

Because it forms a fanlike mass of pointed leaves, Agave americana makes a
striking backdrop for smaller succulents, such as aeoniums, which produce conical yellow blooms that contrast beautifully with the agave’s silvery blue. Agave
americana is also gorgeous when combined with plants with bright red ﬂowers,
such as bougainvillea, Crassula falcata, or Euphorbia milii. For a pleasing textural contrast, juxtapose A. americana with a plant that seems ethereal compared
to its sharklike presence—for example, an angel’s trumpet tree (Brugmansia) or
dainty Santa Barbara daisies (Erigeron karvinskianus). Consider monochromatic
combinations, too, such as a ground cover of blue Senecio serpens or blue Festuca
glauca.
Variegated forms of Agave americana, with leaves that resemble broad, striped
ribbons, are the showiest of succulents. ‘Mediopicta’ has a yellow stripe down
the middle and blue-green edges; ‘Marginata’ (also known as ‘Aureomarginata’
and ‘Variegata’) is blue-green in the middle with yellow leaf margins. Although
these share many traits with their blue-gray cousins—including a tendency to
offset with abandon—they tend not to grow as large, or as vigorously. They are,
however, slightly more frost-tender.

149

150

Agave franzosinii at
Mission San Juan
Capistrano, California.

Plant Palette

As Agave americana grows, its leaves become so heavy, they bend and curve
downward. If you prefer a crisp, fanlike silhouette rather than the looser look of
ﬂoppy, undulating leaves, A. americana ‘Selecta’ appears identical to A. americana when small, but as it grows, its leaves stay upright. It, too, has blue and variegated forms.
Another immense agave, sometimes mistaken for Agave americana, is A. franzosinii (to 8 feet tall and as wide as 14 feet). Unlike A. americana, A. franzosinii
leaves are more concave, with the edges curving upward and inward, creating a
long gutter that tapers to the tip. It is also lighter in color—a striking powdery
blue.
Agave guiengola (to 4 feet tall and 6 feet wide) is considered by some collectors to be the most spectacular large agave because of its silvery color and sculptural form. Its leaves are lighter in color than those of A. americana, and though
serrated along the edges, they are not as wickedly fanged. Leaves also are much
wider and thicker than those of A. americana. It pups infrequently.
Beschorneria, an agave relative from Mexico, is seen infrequently in cultivation, but that is changing due to a surging demand. The ﬂowering spike of B. yuccoides—which lasts for months on end—is among the most dramatic of any plant.
In spring, a tall (to 6 feet), arching, and branching stem emerges from a gray-

Tall, Treelike, and Immense Succulents

green rosette, 2 to 3 feet in diameter, that looks like a cross between a yucca and
an agave. Both stem and branches are bright coral-pink. Flowers aligned along
the branches are chartreuse and bell-shaped, held in yellow bracts. Unlike agaves, beschornerias do not die after ﬂowering. In frost-prone areas, position the
plants against warm walls. In hottest climates, provide partial shade. Beschorneria is not fussy about soil, but it requires regular water and good drainage. A
variegated variety of B. yuccoides exists but is rare.
Also in the Agavaceae and native to northern Mexico is Hesperaloe, often mistaken for a yucca because of its stiff, strappy foliage. The most popular species, H.
parviﬂora, is commonly called red yucca. It has become a popular landscape plant
throughout the desert Southwest because of its drought tolerance, ease of care,
and showy red ﬂower stalks that bloom all summer long. Hesperaloe parviﬂora
forms 2- to 3-foot rounded clumps of bladelike foliage; leaves have curly white
ﬁlaments along their margins. Varieties that produce cream or yellow ﬂowers are
becoming more available. Plants are cold hardy to zero degrees. Give them full
sun to encourage ﬂowering and supplemental irrigation in summer.

Alluaudia
Alluaudia procera (to 30 feet tall), commonly known
as Madagascar ocotillo, is not well known, but it
deserves to be. Nothing is quite like it for adding
interest to a garden, especially when the plants are
grown in multiples and allowed to create a miniforest. Slender trunks that resemble stiff ropes are
covered with regularly spaced, thumbnail-sized,
oval green leaves that glow beautifully when backlit. Leaves fall off during dry periods to reveal the
bone-white prickles of a naked stalk. Although foliage regrows when the rains return, withhold summer water.
<F172, 4-5.tif>

A ﬁeld of Aloe ferox at peak
bloom in mid-January.
Design by Rancho
Soledad Nursery

Aloes come from parts of the world that receive summer rain and from other regions that do not. This is
important to know when you are determining where
to position them in the garden—should they go in
areas that have no automatic irrigation or where
they will receive regular water? Obviously, aloes
that can tolerate regular summer water will do best
when combined with perennials and other plants
with similar requirements. Summer-dry aloes are a
good choice for sections of a Southwestern garden
that receive little attention, and they serve admirably
as companion plants for natives. Irrigation requirements are noted for the aloes mentioned here.
Aloe barberae (formerly A. bainesii) grows 20 feet
tall or taller and needs summer water. It is one of the
largest succulents and will grow several feet a year
given ideal conditions (regular water, full sun, and
fast-draining soil). Rosettes of thick leaves, 2 to 3 feet
long, sprout from branches that thrust upward from
a ﬂeshy trunk. These stiff, downward-curving leaves
make A. barberae resemble the multi-headed trees in
books by children’s author Dr. Seuss.
Aloe barberae is frost-tender when young and can
tolerate some dryness and neglect. It will do ﬁne in
a pot for a while but prefers being in the ground.

Tall, Treelike, and Immense Succulents

Aloe plicatilis in bloom at Sherman Library and Gardens,
Corona Del Mar, CA. On the left is Crassula arborescens
(silver jade).

Aloe dichotoma. Design by owner Phil Favel, Elﬁn Forest, CA

Young trees, 3 to 4 feet high and sold in 15 gallon pots, tend to be single-headed
(unbranched) until they reach 5 or 6 feet tall. A dwarf ‘Medusa’ cultivar is also
available.
Aloe dichotoma (to 20 feet) will not tolerate summer water. It resembles
A. barberae, but the trunk is thicker, the bark more coarsely textured, and the
branching structure more compact. Aloe dichotoma also is more drought-tolerant and not as common. Native to South Africa and Namibia, it produces yellow
ﬂower spikes and requires exceptionally porous soil. Aloe ‘Hercules’ is a cross
between A. barberae and A. dichotoma.
Aloe ferox (6 to 10 feet) needs summer water. It forms a single trunk with a
crown of 3- to 4-foot spiny leaves. Columnar spikes of red-orange, gold, yellow,
or white ﬂowers rise several feet above the center of the tree in midwinter.
Aloe marlothii (to 8 feet) needs summer water and resembles A. ferox. Both
form a single trunk and produce gloriously vivid, Popsicle-shaped ﬂower stalks
in winter. Aloe marlothii stems branch horizontally beneath columnar blooms,

153

154

Plant Palette

and leaves are dotted with prickly points. Aloe ferox has spiny edges, fewer prickles, and unbranched blooms that resemble candelabras. With both, old foliage
curves downward, dries, and clings to the stem. Similar in form is massive, single-trunked A. thraskii (to 6 feet or more), which has smooth, downward-curving leaves. It needs summer water and grows in beach sand in its native habitat of
South Africa. Its comparatively short, columnar ﬂowers are yellow with orange
stamens and appear atop branched stalks.
Aloe plicatilis (to 5 or 6 feet) needs no summer water and has leaves that
resemble fans made of large tongue depressors. The South African native produces orange-red ﬂowers in early spring. Leaves grow to 12 inches long and are
gray-green with translucent margins. Over time, the trunk becomes thick and
gnarled. The plant should be thoroughly watered when dry and given excellent
drainage.

Beaucarnea
Single-stemmed Beaucarnea recurvata (syn. Nolina
recurvata) grows 15 to 20 feet tall and has a bulbous
base to 9 feet wide (in very old specimens). Common
names include bottle palm or ponytail palm. Trees
with long, downward-curving, grassy leaves resemble a feather duster anchored by a suction cup. The
caudex (enlarged, woody base) stores water like a
camel’s hump, so not surprisingly, trees can go dry for
long periods. Plants are striking when grouped, but
they are also are effective solo as garden exclamation
points. Water sparingly in winter or the stem may
rot. This species makes an intriguing potted plant
that will thrive indoors, swell to ﬁll its container,
and get by with minimal soil and water. It is native to
Mexico, produces spikes of small white ﬂowers, and
needs porous soil with excellent drainage.
Beaucarnea stricta, also native to Mexico, grows
to 25 feet over time and has a canopy of blue-gray,
strappy leaves, and a base textured like a tortoise’s
shell.

Cacti
Desert landscapes that showcase cacti are not lush and leafy, and ﬂowers ﬂash
and fade, yet the plants’ bold shapes and spikiness do have an eerie appeal.
By deﬁnition, cacti are succulents that belong to the family Cactaceae. Unlike
other succulents, cacti have areoles—points from which spines (which are modiﬁed leaves), pads, ﬂowers, or new branches grow. Another important distinction
is that cacti are indigenous to the Americas. They range from Tierra del Fuego to
near the Arctic Circle and can be found on grassy plains, along the coasts, in the
mountains—and most notably—the deserts of the southwestern United States,
northern Mexico, and South America. (Apart from agaves, dudleyas, echeverias,
lewisia, and yuccas, most non-cactus succulents are from the Old World.)
Cacti store water in cylindrical, spherical, jointed, or padlike stems. Those
cacti that are ribbed gradually expand and shrink, like an accordion, depending
on the availability of water. Globular cacti are especially efﬁcient at retaining
moisture and minimizing evaporation. Because their stems contain chlorophyll,
the plants are able to photosynthesize.
All cacti—all succulents, in fact—have a thick skin or protective coating that
seals in moisture. This may be white and powdery (called farinose) or waxy and
blue-green (glaucous). Spines also provide sun protection. Flowers are showy
but short-lived. Typically, when stems are severed or broken, branches sprout
from the exposed tissue, and roots grow from the broken-off piece.
The main difference in cultivation requirements between cacti and other succulents is that cacti prefer more light and less water. Generally, both do ﬁne in

156

Plant Palette

summer temperatures that range into the 90s, and during periods of winter dormancy, they can survive temperatures close to freezing. Most cacti need no water
at all from early to late winter. In spring, water should gradually be increased,
and in summer, cacti do best when watered every one to three days, depending
on heat, humidity, and soil porosity. As a rule of thumb, soil should be coarse and
fast-draining and allowed to go dry or nearly so between waterings. Avoid letting
water pool at the base of the plant. Irrigate with drip, or, if cacti are on a steep
slope, dig a trench or hole into the slope above the plants, and ﬁll it with water.
It will soak the soil and reach the roots without getting the crowns of the plants
wet. Water dormant and newly planted cacti very little, or they may rot. Wait
several weeks after planting, and then water thoroughly.
If you live in a desert climate, young agaves, yuccas, and cacti (and all softleaved succulents, regardless of maturity) should be grown in dappled shade or
beneath shade cloth.

Cyphostemma
These long-lived, deciduous trees native to Africa are
prized by succulent collectors. Cyphostemma juttae,
from southern Namibia, will grow to 6 feet over time.
The ﬂeshy, bloated trunk is covered with papery,
peeling bark. Thick, knobby branches produce pale
blue-green, boat-shaped leaves with saw-toothed
edges. Leathery leaves are large (12 inches or more)
and cover the top half of the tree, pointing in all directions. In autumn, these are interspersed with grapelike clusters of translucent red berries. The summer
ﬂowers that precede these are yellow-green. Plants
are frost tender and need exceptionally well-drained
soil. Keep dry during winter dormancy.

<F179, 4-10A.tif>

Cyphostemma juttae

Tall, Treelike, and Immense Succulents

Dasylirion
A dasylirion (to 10 feet tall and as wide) is guaranteed to make a statement in any
garden. Plants are shimmering pincushions of long, slender, ribbonlike leaves.
Yucca whipplei and narrow-leaved Agave stricta provide a similar silhouette, but
dasylirion is more dramatic and purely spherical (although it does form a trunk,
eventually). Plants are native to southern Arizona and New Mexico and require
excellent drainage. They prefer full sun but will tolerate partial shade.
Yvonne Cave, in her book Succulents for the Contemporary Garden (2002),
describes dasylirions as “spiky balls” and “a dense bundle of stifﬂy erect olive
green leaves.” Dasylirion longissimum (syn. D. quadrangulatum) is commonly
called Mexican grass tree; D. wheeleri, or desert spoon, has stiffer, gray-toothed
leaves. Both bloom in summer, producing ﬂower stalks that rise 12 feet or more;
these resemble giant pipe cleaners, with tiny ﬂowers held densely against the
stalk.

157

Dasylirion wheeleri grows
at the edge of a canyon. In
front are pink-blooming
Euphorbia milii, and the
ground cover is Drosanthemum ﬂoribundum. Richard
Feltman garden. Design by
Carl Dykema, Exotic Gardens
nursery

158

Plant Palette

Dracaena
Dracaena draco, known as dragon tree (to 30 feet
high and as wide), is native to the Canary Islands
off the coast of Morocco. Thick, cylindrical trunks
resemble horizontally-banded columns; the red in
the stripes is a reminder that the trees bleed crimson sap when cut. Solo trunks branch into stout arms
that produce clumps of pointed leaves. Like Aloe
barberae and A. dichotoma, D. draco trees have hefty
limbs and stiff green leaves. All are slow-growing
compared to woody trees, so large specimens tend to
be uncommon and expensive. Nevertheless, a single
tree makes a strong statement in a garden and offers
an unforgettable silhouette.
Dracaena marginata (to 12 feet) is a common
houseplant that does well outside, when acclimated.
Its narrow green leaves fan out from the tips of slender limbs that bend and curve. Use it as a silhouette
plant, against walls, and protect it from wind. Dracaena marginata ‘Colorama’ is a red-leaved, greenstriped cultivar that glows brilliantly when backlit.

Detail of Dracaena draco branching structure

Euphorbia

Euphorbia is an immense genus that encompasses
thousands of species, from tennis ball–sized succulents to tall trees. All have in
common a milky sap that, depending on the variety, can be mildly to severely
irritating to the skin. Great care should be taken when pruning or transplanting
to avoid getting the sap on the skin—or, in particular, the eyes.
Among those euphorbias most useful in enhancing landscapes are tall, statuesque varieties that suggest saguaro cactus and impart to gardens a Southwest
ambience. Numerous varieties are available—some smooth, others spiny—but
those found most readily in nurseries include Euphorbia ingens (to 40 feet tall)
and E. trigona (to 6 feet tall). The former starts out columnar, and as it ages,
it becomes huge and massively branched. A monstrous sport of E. ingens loops
hither and yon in front of the main house at Ganna Walska Lotusland in Santa
Barbara, California.
Euphorbia trigona, native to tropical western Africa, often is seen as a potted
plant, indoors and out. Three- and four-sided stems may have white, light green,
or red marbling. In time, the plants become multi-branched. Active growth
occurs during the spring and summer months. Withhold water during winter
dormancy.

Tall, Treelike, and Immense Succulents

Dracaena draco in the landscape at Point Loma College,
San Diego

Euphorbia ingens.
Courtesy of the Franciscan Friars of the Old Mission San Luis Rey

159

160

Furcraea foetida var.
mediopicta, with Agave
weberi at left and
A. angustifolia var.
marginata at right.

Plant Palette

Furcraea
Furcraeas (to 15 feet tall) are in the agave family and resemble a cross between
agaves and yuccas. Leaves that form large, fountain-shaped rosettes are more
pliable than those of yucca and not as ﬂeshy as an agave’s. Furcraeas, like agaves,
are monocarpic (they bloom once, and then die). Furcraea foetida var. mediopicta (to 5 feet) has cream to yellow stripes on leaves with green margins. It is
particularly beautiful when grown in combination with similarly colored plants,
such as variegated Saint Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum ‘Variegatum’), chartreuse Helichrysum ‘Limelight’, or cream-and-green Aptenia cordifolia ‘Variegata’. Leaves of variegated furcraeas are susceptible to sunburn, so
situate plants where they are protected from intense sun.

161

Tall, Treelike, and Immense Succulents

Kalanchoe beharensis

Pachypodium lamerei and
Agave lophantha

Kalanchoe
Most Kalanchoe (pronounced kah-lan-KOH-ee) are
small shrubs, but one notable exception is K. beharensis (to 6 feet, and, rarely, 9 feet or more). Its
arrowhead-shaped leaves grow several feet long
and resemble gray-green felt. Kalanchoe beharensis makes an intriguing and unusual specimen tree,
either planted in a protected area of the garden or
in a large pot. No other succulent—or plant, for that
matter—looks quite like it, so position it where it
will be noticed and admired. It produces panicles of
small, yellow-green ﬂowers in late winter.

Pachypodium
These upright shrubs form ﬂeshy, bristled columns
topped with lancelike, foot-long leaves. When plants
are mature, they produce fragrant ﬂowers that
resemble plumeria blooms. Give full sun or partial
shade or grow indoors as a potted plant, in bright
light. Pachypodiums are tropical and prefer regular
water except during winter dormancy. The plants
will tolerate a mild frost, although it may stunt their
growth. Pachypodium lamerei (to 18 feet tall and 5
feet wide), commonly called Madagascar palm, is the
most widely cultivated variety.

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Plant Palette

Yucca
Yuccas (6 to 40 feet at maturity, depending on species) are native to the Southwestern United States
and Central America. Compared to aloe and dragon
trees, yuccas are much more common, faster growing, and less expensive to purchase. In a succulent
landscape, the bayonet-shaped leaves of yuccas
are useful for creating a harmonious repetition of
the multi-pointed leaves of agaves, furcraeas, and
aloes. Various species of Yucca grow throughout
North America, so regardless of where you live, one
or more is likely suited to your garden. Some have
trunks punctuated with sword-shaped leaves that
radiate in all directions; others are stemless shrubs
with a porcupine silhouette. The bloom stalks of
yuccas are massed with waxy, cream-colored ﬂowers. Yuccas also make excellent container plants, but
like all pointy succulents, they should be positioned
well away from walkways and children’s play areas.

A variegated yucca

Aloes and Agaves: Important Differences
Even horticulturists, upon encountering a previously unknown plant, can ﬁnd it difﬁcult to tell
whether it is an aloe or an agave. Both form rosettes of broad, tapered, green or gray-blue leaves that
spiral up and outward from a central stem.
Perhaps the most important reason to know the difference between the two is that aloes produce
bloom spikes year after year, but after an agave ﬂowers, it dies. Agaves are useful primarily for the symmetry of their foliage, not for their blooms—though these are indeed impressive and on large specimens may last several months. As it completes its life cycle, a mature agave, which has graced a garden
for years, sends up an asparagus-like ﬂower stalk. This dwarfs the plant and saps its energy. In some
species, ﬂowers along the stalk’s branches eventually turn into mini plants (bulbils), so gardeners who
are into propagation have hit the jackpot. But in general, this tendency to look lovely for a decade and

Tall, Treelike, and Immense Succulents

then die rather suddenly—leaving a ﬂoppy mess that has to be removed and a gap in the garden—is the
greatest drawback to growing agaves. Anticipate this eventuality, and plan for it.
When attempting to identify a mystery plant, ﬁrst examine the teeth that line the edges of the
leaves. Barbs on agaves tend to be sharp, and the tissue will be denser (like a ﬁngernail or horn) compared to the rest of the leaf. Toothed edges of aloe leaves tend to be less thorny. Mary and Gary Irish
describe this in their book, Agaves, Yuccas, and Related Plants: A Gardener’s Guide (2000): “In aloes
there is no such border; what look like teeth on closer examination are just elongations of the leaf, like
taffy being pulled off the leaf surface.”
Not all agaves and aloes have prickles and barbs, but when they do, agaves tend to have them only
along the edges, and each leaf ends in a sharp, hard point. Unlike agaves, aloes may have barbs all over
their leaves.
Other differences are not immediately apparent: Agaves have ﬁbrous leaves; those of aloes are ﬁlled
with thick gel—which to horticulturists is the key determinant. Aloes come from Africa and Madagascar; agaves from the Americas—in fact, they were initially referred to as “New World aloes.” Some
aloes stay upright; others sprout multiple heads that eventually form a shrublike mound or elongate
and creep along the ground (at a glacial pace).
Many, but not all, agaves and aloes produce pups—small plants that spring up around the base of
the mother plant. These are a bonus, because they are easy to remove and replant elsewhere, thereby
enhancing a garden through repetition. Harvest and grow pups in ornamental or nursery pots, and
then transfer them into the garden should a plant (such as a mother agave) need to be replaced.

Agave potatorum

Aloe marlothii

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Plant Palette

Chapter Eight

Midsized and
Shrub Succulents

Kalanchoe marmorata

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166

Plant Palette

Midsized succulents add texture and interest to the
landscape. They range in size from 1 to 5 feet tall and
do best in well-drained soil with moderate water
until established, at which point most are ﬁne with
much less. Use shrub succulents as hedges, grow
them beneath windows and in containers, and multiply them throughout the garden for design continuity. Those included here are frost-tender unless
otherwise noted.

Aeonium
Aeoniums, many of which resemble green, dinner
plate–sized daisies, form shrubs that vary from dense
and compact, to airy forms. When they bloom, the
entire rosette elongates, producing a conical inﬂorescence massed with cream-colored or yellow ﬂowers. Spent stalks and the plants that produced them
need to be removed, as they will wither and die. This
normally detracts little from the appearance of the
clump, since only a few rosettes bloom in any given
year (usually spring through early summer).
Most species of Aeonium are summer-dormant,
so their growth season is winter. Those mentioned
here will tolerate summer water, if not excessive, but
prefer to be on the dry side. Except for A. arboreum
Aeonium ‘Cyclops’ produces immense conical clusters
of yellow ﬂowers. Shrubby blue-green Senecio talinoides
‘Zwartkop’ and its hybrids, which do ﬁne in full sun,
grows in the background; red ﬂowers are Pelargonium
aeoniums prefer partial shade, especially in areas
peltatum (ivy geraniums). Arthur Salm and Susan Duerksen
that have harsh summers.
garden. Design by owners and Michael Buckner
Many aeoniums, such as Aeonium arboreum (to 2
feet high), and thick-stemmed A. undulatum (to 4 ½
feet tall), have overlapping pinwheel-like leaves. These top 1- to 2-inch diameter mini-trunks that get taller and lankier over the life of the plant. After a few
years of growth, what began as a cluster of rosettes at ground level will become
a diminutive forest. If you ﬁnd the naked stems unsightly, conceal them with
low, mounding plants that have similar cultivation requirements—such as Kalanchoe uniﬂora or Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’. Despite a tendency to become awkwardly elongated, aeoniums are beautiful when massed.
Aeonium rosettes, seeking photosynthesis, grow in the direction of the greatest amount of sunlight. This is not obvious when their trunks are short, but as
plants grow, they lean, which can be unfortunate if they are viewed mostly from
behind or are a key element of a geometrically planted arrangement.
Few plants make such a strong statement in the garden as Aeonium arboreum
‘Zwartkop’, so give careful thought to its placement. Dark-leaved plants are not
always an asset; from a distance, a ‘Zwartkop’ cluster can appear to be a shadowy

Midsized and Shrub Succulents

Variegated Aeonium ‘Kiwi’

gap. Position the plants against a light wall, amid others with silvery or variegated foliage, or where the
leaves will glow magenta when backlit. Black aeoniums are striking in containers, especially when
juxtaposed with blue-leaved plants, such as Festuca
glauca or Senecio serpens; those with yellow or red
leaves, such as A. ‘Kiwi’; and plants with red, orange,
or yellow ﬂowers. New cultivars hybridized by Jack
Catlin at the Huntington Botanical Gardens—notably
‘Cyclops’, ‘Plum Purdy’, and ‘Voodoo’—are becoming
more available in succulent specialty nurseries.
Aeonium canariense and its hybrids form stout
trunks topped with rosettes that squash together into
a dense mass as they grow. These add lushness wherever they are planted and are effective on terraces,
where they provide appealing texture at eye level.
Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ is a beauty well worth cultivating; it has green-and-cream–striped leaves edged in
pink. Rosettes are 12 inches in diameter when mature
and suggest giant daisies. Grow them where they will
glow in early morning or late afternoon sun.
Blue-gray Aeonium haworthii consists of small (1to 2-inch diameter) rosettes that overlap to create a
dome of foliage over a woody, multi-branched shrub.
These spread slowly via ﬁbrous roots that grow along
the undersides of stems. After several years, shrubs
will form 2- to 3-foot-high mounds that lend superb
texture to the garden. Unfortunately, it is impossible
to trim the plants without exposing the woody interior—and no new leaves will ﬁll the gap.

Agave
Comparatively small agaves make wonderful design accents, and each has its
own character. Those mentioned here will pup, unless otherwise noted.
White-striped Agave americana ‘Mediopicta Alba’ (3 to 4 feet high and as
wide)—though sometimes difﬁcult to ﬁnd and costly—stays small compared to
A. americana. The cultivar’s bold stripes, fountain shape, manageable size, and
gracefully undulating leaves make it one of the most prized of ornamental succulents. In his book The Jewel Box Garden (2003), Vancouver author and garden designer Thomas Hobbs calls these “the Tiffany of agaves” and his garden’s
“estate jewels.” He says, “I know not to mix them with ‘lesser jewels’ and allow
them to star in their own pots on my terrace.”
Agave angustifolia (3 to 5 feet high and up to 8 feet wide) has long, narrow,
blue-gray leaves. For a striking combination of color and texture, position green-

and-white–striped A. angustifolia var. marginata alongside Portulacaria afra
‘Variegata’ or soft, mounding Bougainvillea ‘Raspberry Ice’.
Agave desmettiana ‘Variegata’ (2 feet tall and 3 feet wide) is becoming more
widely available; it is not toothed, yet like A. americana ‘Mediopicta Alba’, it is
variegated and has gracefully curved leaves.
Of all agaves, Agave attenuata (to 5 feet high and as wide) is perhaps the most
popular in residential applications. Certainly, it combines ease of care with dramatic landscape enhancement. Its only downside is that it is frost-tender. It is
noninvasive but pups readily, making it easy to spread throughout the garden
(or, should there be an abundance, easy to give away). It is also the only agave to
form a stem, or trunk. Its smooth leaves have no vicious barbs or points and form
silky green rosettes that suggest large green ﬂowers. Cultivar ‘Boutin Blue’ is distinctively blue in color. Agave attenuata ‘Variegata’ is ribboned with yellow and
is one of the most spectacular foliage plants—particularly when combined with

orange or red ﬂowers. Though uncommon, expensive, and slow growing, it does
eventually produce pups.
Agave vilmoriniana (5 feet tall and as wide) has blue-green leaves that undulate, as though swept by an ocean current—hence the common name, octopus
agave. Edges of the plant’s long, slender leaves curl inward, creating a tubular
look that is more pronounced toward the tips. Because of a lack of prickles, this
is considered a “soft” agave. This species is solitary (does not form pups), but
plantlets grow abundantly along the bloom spike.
If you do not mind sharp points, two readily available and elegant agaves stay
small, are exceptionally cold-tolerant, and have an appealing symmetry reminiscent of an artichoke: Agave victoriae-reginae and A. parryi. Agave victoriae-reginae is dark green with white lines; these outline thick, rigid triangular leaves that
end in short, sharp black points. The native of Mexico grows to about 12 inches
high and about as wide. Agave parryi is silvery blue-gray with reddish black serrated edges and tips. Although native to the desert Southwest and Mexico and
heat-tolerant, it is among the most cold-hardy of succulents—it has no problem
with temperatures well below freezing. Plants seldom get larger than 2 feet tall
and as wide. Agave parryi var. truncata has broader, rounder leaves.
Because they are spherical, both Agave victoriae-reginae and A. parryi are gorgeous when grown in round pots. They also are effective arrayed in multiples, in
a bed of gravel, perhaps with a few boulders to add interest. Pups of A. victoriaereginae are occasional and tend not to be proliﬁc; A. parryi will form colonies of
offsets, although some specimens remain solitary.
Certain agaves that are not grown widely are becoming more commercially
available due to their exceptional ornamental value. Among these are Agave bracteosa, which has long, smooth, tapered, bright green leaves and a distinctive starshaped center; A. ﬁlifera and A. schidigera, both of which have medium-green,
bayonet-shaped leaves with white, threadlike ﬁlaments that curl from the edges;
A. gypsophila, which is gray with serrated leaves that curve and curl; A. ‘Sharkskin’, with thick gray-green leaves textured like ﬁne sandpaper; and A. stricta,
which forms stiff, narrow-leaved pincushions. All attain 2 to 3 feet in width.
A few agaves have leaves edged in curved, sharp points that resemble shark
teeth. Gray-blue Agave guadalajarana is slow growing to 3 feet wide; A. macroculmis grows to 4 feet wide and likes cold, wet weather; and A. shawii reaches 5
feet tall. Similarly, A. potatorum, from the mountains of Mexico, is prized by collectors for its wide leaves with prominent leaf tips that grow several inches long
and are rust-red and twisted. This small (to 2 feet tall and as wide) blue-gray
agave forms a compact rosette well suited to containers.

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Plant Palette

Because it grows along the cliffs of the artists’ community
of Laguna Beach, California, Aloe arborescens has been
immortalized in numerous paintings.

Aloe
Shrub aloes form symmetrical, ever-expanding clumps of pointed leaves. Aloes
mentioned here should be given summer water, unless otherwise noted.
Perhaps the best known aloe is Aloe barbadensis (aloe vera), which grows 2 to
3 feet tall. Some people grow aloe vera in windowsill pots in kitchens, because
the gel in its leaves soothes minor burns and other skin irritations. Although it is
useful and famous, from a design standpoint it is not a spectacular aloe. Its form
is upright rather than rosette, and its ﬂower spires are tall and slender.
Another commonly grown aloe, often found in frost-free coastal gardens in
Southern California—seemingly undisturbed by nutrient-poor, sandy soil and
salt spray—is Aloe arborescens, which forms multi-headed mounds of 1- to 3-footdiameter rosettes. Tight clusters of serrated green leaves overlap like starﬁsh
clinging to a rock. Over time, a colony can grow to 10 feet tall and as wide. In
midwinter, A. arborescens sends up torchlike spires of red-orange ﬂowers. Some

Midsized and Shrub Succulents

173

cultivars are yellow.
Aloe arborescens ‘Variegata’ is not common but is gaining popularity with
landscapers because its leaves are beautifully streaked with pale yellow. It does
best in dappled sun or bright shade, enlivens low-light areas, and contrasts effectively with darker foliage.
One of the most striking aloes is Aloe cameronii, which has foot-long green
leaves that turn cranberry-red when grown in full sun and that form overlapping
clusters several feet high and wide. More common is A. striata (2 feet tall and as
wide), known as coral aloe, with its stemless, gray-green leaves subtly striped and
tinged with orange, lavender, and rose. Leaf margins are smooth and edged with
orange. The branched inﬂorescence of this African native has pendant, tubular,
orange-red buds.
Other aloes becoming more prevalent in nurseries include Aloe vanbalenii (2 feet tall and as wide), which has red-edged chartreuse leaves that curve
downward. Leaves are tapered gutters; ﬂowers, yellow-orange spires. Aloe elegans (3 to 4 feet tall and
as wide) has pale blue-gray upright leaves toothed
in rose-red, with yellow ﬂower spikes. Aloe elgonica forms attractive clumps (1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to
3 feet wide); its scalloped, medium-green leaves are
dusky red at the centers of each rosette and on leaf
tips (redder when stressed), and it produces red
ﬂowers that bloom in late winter and again in midsummer. Aloe rubroviolacea (2 feet) resembles A.
striata but has lavender-tinged blue-gray leaves. Aloe
vaombe (to 6 feet) has curved reddish brown leaves
and a trunk that elongates to form a small tree. And
A. speciosa (multi-headed clusters to 6 feet tall and
as wide) produces spectacular conical ﬂowers that
unfurl from the bottom up and resemble rufﬂed petticoats of cream, pink, rose-red, and green.
<F204, 5-15.tif>

Bulbine
Bulbine frutescens (18-inch leaves, with ﬂower stems
of 2 to 3 feet) grows from corms and has juicy, pencilthick leaves that are pointed at the tips. Airy sprays
of tiny yellow or orange ﬂowers top spaghetti-thin
stems. Plants are especially effective when massed,
are unfussy about soil, and will grow in semishade
to full sun. Bulbine gets by on minimal water, but it
becomes lush when pampered—to the point it may
crowd other plants. Use it as a low-maintenance ﬁller
for spots in the garden where little else will grow.

Cotyledon
Shrub-forming Cotyledon orbiculata (1 to 2 feet tall)
is the most common cotyledon. It has paddle-shaped
leaves that, depending on the variety, may be gray or
green and edged with a thin ribbon of red. Pendant
orange ﬂowers with upward-curling petals appear in
late summer. Reduce irrigation in summer, or roots
may rot.

Crassula
Crassula arborescens (to 4 feet high and as wide), also
known as silver jade plant, has ﬂattened oval leaves
that are light gray, edged in maroon, and pinpointed
with green dots. It produces pink ﬂower clusters in
spring. It is not as common as jade plant (C. ovata),
but its care requirements are similar.
Crassula falcata (to 4 feet high and 2 ½ feet wide)
is called propeller plant because its bladelike leaves
overlap alternately along the stems. Gray foliage contrasts dramatically with spice-scented ﬂower clusters that resemble crimson broccoli, in late summer
into autumn. It is effective when massed, and even
a single plant is striking when in bloom. Position it Cotyledon orbiculata. Design by owner Peggy Petitmermet
alongside a dry streambed of oval river rocks; the
leaves of the plant will repeat the texture and color
of the smooth gray stones.
Crassula ovata is perhaps the best known shrub succulent in the frost-free
Southwest. These fat-trunked mini-trees, with green leaves the size of half dollars, are often the only survivors in neglected gardens, and they thrive in vacant
lots and alongside roadways. It is ironic that green-mounding shrubs that take
years to grow large, that require no water or pruning, and that are noninvasive,
are so unappreciated. Homeowners and landscapers routinely remove decadesold, well-established plants when designing or renovating gardens. But smart
ones use jade—and its less common, multicolored varieties—to advantage.
Jade leaves can be yellow, red, and green; streaked with cream and green; and
as golden as egg yolks. All grow as readily and are as easy to care for as the common green variety, and all produce clusters of star-shaped ﬂowers in winter or
spring. Conﬁned in a pot, jade will naturally bonsai. I have grown a jade plant in
the same shallow, 18-inch pot for decades; its trunk is as thick as my arm.
Common Crassula ovata has oval green leaves edged in red and produces
pinkish white star-shaped ﬂowers. The cultivar ‘Hummel’s Sunset’ blends yellow, orange, and touches of green in its leaves, like rainbow sherbet. The more

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Plant Palette

Crassula ovata blooms in midwinter

Crassula tetragona in ďŹ&#x201A;ower

Crassula arborescens

177

Midsized and Shrub Succulents

Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’

sun, the more yellow it gets; in shade, it reverts to green. ‘Tricolor’ has whiteand-green stripes, sometimes blushed with pink, and ‘Gollum’ and ‘Hobbit’ have
spoon-shaped depressions on leaf tips (‘Gollum’ is more cylindrical).
Crassula tetragona looks nothing like jade; instead, it resembles a miniature
pine tree, its trunk packed with regularly spaced, slender, inch-long pointed
leaves. Eventually, the plant will grow to several feet tall and become multibranched. Creamy yellow ﬂower clusters appear in late spring. It provides texture contrast for succulents with round or oval leaves and is useful as a vertical
accent. Planted in pots, silhouetted against a plain backdrop, it adds height to
mixed groupings.

Euphorbia
The family Euphorbiaceae encompasses numerous plants, including poinsettias
and many cacti, with milky sap that can irritate the skin and eyes. Do not plant
euphorbias near areas where children play.
Few plants offer the bright punch of orange-pink and red provided by Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’ (to 5 feet and as wide). This South African native
resembles a leaﬂess tree with multiple upright, cylindrical branches. Use it to
lend the illusion of height to small-scale garden beds or containers.
It can be great fun to design with ‘Sticks on Fire’. Wherever you plant it, it
calls attention to itself. Plant it in a saucer-shaped concrete pot with crushed
lava rock at its base, and it will suggest a bonﬁre. Combine it with plants with the
same blend of sunset hues—such as Gazania hybrids—or contrast it with ﬂowers
or foliage from the opposite side of the color wheel, such as cobalt-blue lobelia,
purple Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’, or any succulent with blue-green leaves.

178

Plant Palette

Euphorbia rigida

Euphorbia polygona. Design by Rogue McNeal

Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’ amid lava rock, with
Agave bracteosa in the foreground, Aloe vanbalenii on the
left, and E. resinifera at the upper right. San Diego County
Fairgrounds. Design by Jeff Moore

The solid green variety of Euphorbia tirucalli,
known as milk bush or pencil tree, is more common,
grows larger (to 20 feet), and makes a good hedge. Its
active growth period is in late spring and summer,
and it prefers to go dry during the winter.
Similarly ﬂeshy and also shrubby is Euphorbia
stenoclada, which is silvery gray and multi-branched.
Its silhouette suggests a loose pile of plump snowﬂakes. In its native habitat of Madagascar, it forms
thickets. In a garden or container, it looks best grown
solo, against a solid backdrop.
Euphorbia milii (to 4 feet high and 2 feet wide)
is particularly useful in the landscape, because it
blooms nonstop. Commonly called crown of thorns,
the woody shrub is covered with spines. It provides

Midsized and Shrub Succulents

texture contrast to smooth and soft-leaved succulents, but it is most valued for
bright red, pink, yellow, white, or coral bracts that appear on the ends of branches,
framed by bright green oval leaves. Its growth habit depends on the variety (there
are numerous hybrids) and ranges from tall and bushy to cascading.
Succulent shrub euphorbias (such as Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii, also
known as E. wulfenii, and its hybrids) grow to 4 feet high and as wide and have
upright stems, blue-green leaves, and domelike clusters of chartreuse bracts.
This herbaceous perennial’s lush yet airy silhouette makes it a great ﬁller plant
for beds and borders, and its ﬂuffy texture works well as a counterpoint to large
succulents, such as agaves.
Euphorbia rigida (to 2 feet high and 5 feet wide) is an outstanding perennial
euphorbia and a good one to repeat throughout any succulent garden. Plants add
soft texture and brilliant color in the spring, reseed freely but not invasively, and
are hardy to 20°F. Its blue-green leaves are 1 ½ inches long, narrow, and pointed;
in their centers, atop the ﬂower stalk, grow clusters of chartreuse bracts that create a starburst effect.
Columnar, cactuslike Euphorbia trigona and E. lactea (candelabra plant, 3 to
4 feet tall) are good choices for indoor potted plants that must tolerate low light
levels. A variegated form of the latter is a green so
pale it is almost white.
Euphorbia polygona and E. horrida also resemble
cacti and have an edgy appeal. The fat, cylindrical
plants—which form clusters—have crenellated, vertical furrows that are wavy, as though collapsing
under their own weight. Protruding from ribs that
are dark in contrast with the plant’s gray skin are
toothpick-like spines (those of E. horrida are longer
and ﬁercer).

Kalanchoe
Leaves of Kalanchoe have intriguing shapes and textures—from smooth, green, and glossy, to nubby,
gray, and jagged. Flowers range from clusters of tiny
stars to bean-sized bells on multi-branched stalks.
Kalanchoes develop roots and leaves in spring and
summer, and they ﬂower in autumn and winter.
The plants are found from South Africa to Vietnam,
along the tropical latitudes of the world. Water during warm weather, when the soil is dry, and then
withhold water during the winter as soon as temperatures drop below 50°F. Most of those mentioned
here are native to Madagascar.
Kalanchoe tomentosa. Don and Jill Young garden

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Plant Palette

Scalloped, orange-red leaves of Kalanchoe luciae repeat
the color of the terracotta pot and tile roof and contrast
with azure cushions and water. Don and Jill Young garden

Bryophyllums are a type of Kalanchoe characterized by pendulous, tubular
ﬂowers and tiny plantlets that grow along the leaf margins. Plantlets fall to the
ground, where they take root.
Kalanchoe tomentosa (to 18 inches high) has fuzzy leaves that suggest the ears
of a plush rabbit, with brown stitching along the edges. Flowers are small, furry,
yellow-brown bells. Provide bright light to full sun.
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana (to 12 inches high and as wide), a species that has
been widely hybridized, is perhaps the best known kalanchoe. Look for it in garden centers and supermarkets in spring and autumn. These compact perennials
have shiny, toothed leaves and cheerful clusters of hot-hued ﬂowers. Keep old
blossoms pinched off to encourage repeat bloom. Although typically used as a
houseplant, K. blossfeldiana also can be grown outdoors when protected from
frost. Discard and replace when plants become rangy.
Kalanchoe daigremontiana (syn. Bryophyllum daigremontianum), to 2 feet tall,
is called maternity plant or mother of thousands because it produces plantlets
along the edges of its notched, spotted leaves. With its lavender-pink leaves and

Midsized and Shrub Succulents

peach-colored pendant ﬂowers, K. fedtschenkoi (syn. B. fedtschenkoi, to 18 inches
tall) is worth having, though it is easy to grow to the point of being invasive.
Kalanchoe luciae, native to South Africa, has bloom stalks that rise 2 feet above
12-inch-high plants, but its foliage alone makes the plant worthwhile. Commonly called ﬂapjack plant, its blue-green, paddle-like leaves are edged in red.
(The more sun, the more red in the leaves.) The center of the plant elongates
when it blooms, creating a silhouette reminiscent of a minaret. Since ﬂowers sap
the plant’s energy, some gardeners routinely sever the ﬂowering stalks as they
emerge; this maintains the plant’s compact shape and encourages new growth.
Kalanchoe luciae is often confused with K. thyrsiﬂora, which is similar but has
shorter, broader leaves that are blue-green.
Pale yellow in summer and blue-green in winter, the leaves of Kalanchoe marmorata, or penwiper plant (12 to 18 inches), are oval with dark blotches. It is native
to Ethiopia and temperamental; grow as a potted specimen unless your garden
never gets colder than 50°F. Kalanchoe orgyalis (to 3 feet) has spoon-shaped,
velvety, bicolored leaves. These emerge red-brown
and, as they age, turn silvery green with pale-gray
undersides. Kalanchoe pumila is a low-growing (to 2
feet) silver-leaved shrub with masses of purple-pink,
four-petalled ﬂowers in spring. It spreads slowly and
grows well in dappled shade. Oval leaves are serrated, and stems cascade. Good in hanging baskets.
Kalanchoe uniﬂora (12 to 18 inches) produces lipstick-red, slender, bell-shaped ﬂowers at the tips of
ever-elongating stems. These are ﬂexible and covered with glossy, dark green leaves. The plant’s trailing habit makes it ideal for terraces and hanging
baskets. It ﬂowers in early spring, at the same time as
freesias and other bulbs; when planted together, they
create a scene as colorful as an Easter basket. Prune
after blooming to keep the plant compact. Cuttings
root readily; use them to ﬁll gaps in pots or beds.

Portulacaria
Portulacaria afra (to 5 feet and as wide), commonly
called elephant’s food, looks like jade, but has smaller
leaves and reddish brown stems. Cuttings sometimes are sold as “miniature jade plant,” but mature
specimens grow taller and have a looser branching
structure. Use it as a screen or hedge. Portulacaria
is native to Africa, where it grows in thickets and
is eaten by elephants, who strip all its leaves. It

Portulacaria afra

181

182

Plant Palette

Sedum ‘Garnet Brocade’

Sansevieria trifasciata

provides as much as 80 percent of the elephants’ diet, and the animals in turn
help the plant propagate by breaking its branches, which root readily and form
new stands.
Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’ has burgundy-colored stems and dime-sized yellow leaves with green stripes down the middle. Unlike P. afra, it spreads laterally.
Use it as a mounding ground cover, and allow it to cascade over terraces. Because
its stems are gnarly and ﬂexible, portulacaria makes a good weeping bonsai.

Sansevieria
Sansevieria trifasciata (2 to 4 feet tall), also called mother-in-law’s tongue
or snake plant, has stiff, lance-shaped, dark green leaves edged in yellow and
banded with grayish white. Countless hybrids feature varying heights, shapes,
and colorations. Many are remarkably tolerant of neglect and will thrive indoors,
in pots, with minimal light and water. In the garden, grow it in full to partial

Midsized and Shrub Succulents

183

shade in well-drained, sandy soil. Like many plants
with dramatic, upright leaves, Sansevieria is most
effective when grown in multiples; position it along
the base of a wall, or use it as a vertical accent for
mixed groupings of potted succulents. Sansevieria
desertii—not surprisingly—is a good choice for desert gardens.

Sedum
Sedum often is considered a rock garden or ground
cover plant, but some of the most striking varieties
are shrubby perennials that die to the ground in winter. Among those most prized in landscape design
are S. spectabile (syn. Hylotelephium spectabile), S.
telephium (syn. H. telephium), and S. ‘Vera Jameson’.
Plants have upright, ﬂeshy stems that grow 18 inches
to 2 feet in height. Flower clusters appear in late
summer and autumn and are dense, rounded, and
showy.

Senecio
Senecio talinoides (syn. S. vitalis) resembles lowgrowing S. mandraliscae and S. serpens, but it grows
upright to form tall (to 3 feet) mounding shrubs.
Leaves are ﬁnger-shaped, slender, tapered, and more
green than blue. This plant is gaining popularity
because it adds superb midheight texture to the garden. It spreads readily but not invasively and is summer-dormant.

Senecio talinoides with a variegated furcraea in the background

Chapter Nine

Small, Low-Growing,
and Ground Cover
Succulents

The spokes of a succulent pinwheel are deďŹ ned by Senecio rowleyanus (string of pearls);
in the center is an aeonium rosette. Design by Margee Rader

185

186

Plant Palette

Use low-growing succulents to ﬁll bare spots and to create rivers of color and
texture throughout your garden. Those that creep along the ground also look
good cascading over the sides of terraces and in hanging baskets. Plant small succulents in pots and rock gardens, and use them as ground covers for areas that
receive no foot trafﬁc.

Aloe
Blue-green Aloe brevifolia (short-leaf aloe) and reddish green A. nobilis (gold
tooth aloe) both form tight clumps of dense rosettes, 3 to 10 inches in diameter.
Leaves are covered with pale prickles that glow when backlit. In summer, plants
send up slender orange spires.
Aloe saponaria (to 6 inches high and 18 inches wide) is commonly called soap
aloe; supposedly, the sap will produce suds in water and can be used as a soap
substitute. Plants form stemless rosettes. Pointed leaves with white speckles are
yellow-green and short when grown in strong sun and dark green and elongated
in partial shade. Leaf margins are serrated and dark brown. In late spring, A. saponaria produces tall (to 2 ½ feet) branching stems massed with tubular orange
ﬂowers. This native of South Africa is among the easiest to grow and most lowAloe brevifolia

Small, Low-Growing, and Ground Cover Succulents

maintenance of aloes, but it offsets freely and can be
invasive in sandy soils. It does well in seaside gardens where few other plants will grow.
Aloe distans forms 4-inch rosettes of thick green
and red leaves toothed with yellow; it creeps along
the ground and produces parasol-shaped coral ﬂowers in summer. Aloe variegata (to 10 inches in diameter) has tightly overlapping, tapered leaves that
are dark green blotched with white. And A. aristata
forms tight clumps of 12-inch-diameter, artichokelike rosettes with leaves tipped with long threads.

Aptenia
Aptenia cordifolia ‘Red Apple’ (trailing stems to 2
feet long) has inch-long, heart-shaped, chartreuse
leaves. It stays green year-round and produces small
red ﬂowers in spring and summer. Aptenia was
not seen much until the 1970s; once introduced, it
became a popular, maintenance-free ground cover
used extensively to cover banks and slopes throughout the Southwest. Aptenia is drought-tolerant and
will handle temperatures into the 20s. Less common
but well worth seeking is A. cordifolia ‘Variegata’, a
white-edged cultivar that looks striking in combination with other variegated plants or in contrast with
dark-leaved succulents such as Aeonium arboreum
‘Zwartkop’.

Bowiea
Bowiea volubilis, or Namibian sea onion, is arguably the most unusual succulent.
The bulbous plants resemble green tomatoes (to 6 inches in diameter) and sit
atop the soil. From a small hole in the top of the bulb emerge long, slender green
shoots that produce masses of frizzy, lime green leaves that twine around other
plants. According to Taylor’s Encyclopedia of Gardening (1961), “The plant is one
of the most perfectly adapted drought-resistant species known. Its large bulb
has been known to put forth an annual growth when stored on a museum shelf
for four consecutive years.” This South African native is summer-dormant; withhold water during that season or the plant may rot.

Carpobrotus
The dark green leaves of Carpobrotus edulis resemble thick French fries. Pale
yellow or lavender ﬂowers the size of teacups dot the sprawling plant a foot or
more apart. Carpobrotus thrives along the seashore where little else does, and

Small, Low-Growing, and Ground Cover Succulents

it will rot if given too much water. Encourage lush
growth with a high-nitrogen fertilizer. In frost-free
areas that are not excessively hot, carpobrotus naturalizes readily and can be a nuisance—so much so, it
is on the “enemies list” of many native plant societies. Do not use on cliffs to stabilize the soil, as the
weight of the plants may cause fragile earth to crumble. Carpobrotus plants have a sweetish smell that
intensiﬁes in summer heat.
Similar in appearance to Carpobrotus is Glottiphyllum, a genus of clustering plants with fat, stemless leaves that range from several inches to more
than a foot long, depending on the species. These
tongue-shaped succulents come from South Africa,
and though easy to grow, they are difﬁcult to keep
tidy; their thin-skinned, gelatinous leaves show
every imperfection.

Cotyledon
Cotyledon tomentosa (12 to 18 inches high), commonly called kitten paws, has fat, fuzzy thumb-sized
leaves tipped with reddish brown points. It prefers
partial shade, does well in containers, and makes a
good houseplant. Cotyledon tomentosa subsp. ladismithiensis variegated form has cream-colored
streaks. It blooms in the autumn.

Cotyledon tomentosa

Crassula
Crassula coccinea ‘Campﬁre’ (to 2 feet) has pointed yellow leaves that turn bright
red. Stems endlessly elongate, and tiny masses of cream-colored ﬂowers appear
in leaf axels.
Crassula multicava (to 2 feet) is a no-fuss trailing ground cover that thrives on
banks that receive no frost or foot trafﬁc. The plant does well beneath pines and
oaks, where sun-loving ground covers will not grow. Gray-green, inch-wide oval
leaves appear in pairs along ever-lengthening, ﬂoppy stems. In spring, these produce masses of white star-shaped ﬂowers that, if not deadheaded, will form tiny
leaves that become new plants. Although seldom seen in nurseries, C. multicava
is easy to propagate from cuttings. It also spreads readily. Some gardeners ﬁnd it
a nuisance, but others welcome its lush and rapid growth.
Leaves (about 1 inch by 1 inch) of Crassula perforata grow on stems (to 18
inches) like stacked squares; each leaf is rotated at a 90-degree angle from the

189

190

Plant Palette

Crassula multicava

Crassula coccinea ‘Campﬁre’ (lower right) is in
ﬂower in this boulder
garden; Graptopetalum
paraguayense and Sedum
×rubrotinctum cascade
alongside it. Also blooming, behind and to the left
of the center boulder, is
Aloe arborescens. Design by
owner Christina Douglas

Small, Low-Growing, and Ground Cover Succulents

Its exquisite geometry and combination of colors—yellow,
green, magenta, and gray-blue—make Crassula perforata
an ideal choice for containers.

A sunny location brings out the color in a massed planting
of Crassula pubescens. Design by owner Suzy Schaefer

192

Plant Palette

Dudleya brittonii at the
Huntington Botanical
Gardens

Dudleya
Dudleyas are winter-growers found on bluffs and cliffs, along marine-inﬂuenced
areas of Oregon and California, as well as Arizona, Nevada, and Baja California.
They can be difﬁcult to cultivate because conditions have to be perfect: superb
drainage, no summer irrigation, and adequate protection from frost, hail, rain,
and intense sunlight. Even so, dudleyas can be stunning when grown in the
niches of a rock wall, and they are ﬁne in pots, providing they are sheltered in
summer and watered only in winter. Dudleya brittonii (to 12 inches high and as
wide) is a chalky gray rosette succulent that looks like it might be an echeveria,
but its leaves are ﬂatter and broader and the tips more pointed. Dudleya edulis, indigenous to San Diego County, has ﬁnger-shaped leaves that spread to a
diameter of 12 inches or more. Similar to D. brittonii is D. pulverulenta, known as
chalk dudleya; its leaf tips are more sharply pointed, and it is not as fussy about
its growing conditions. Dudleya farinosa, native to coastal central and northern
California, forms star-shaped rosettes of slender powdery white leaves. Plants
reseed readily.

Echeveria
The genus Echeveria includes more than 150 species of rosette succulents, many
of which are baseball-sized and clump-forming. Most are native to Mexico, and
all are prized for pink, coral, or rose-red bell-shaped ﬂowers atop arching stems.
In their native habitat, echeverias grow on rocky outcroppings—water drains
quickly away from the roots, so the plants are never waterlogged. They do not
need full sun but should be given light bright enough to prevent the plants from
stretching, which spoils their tight symmetry. One potential drawback to echeverias is that they prefer mild temperatures (50° to 80°F). Even so, they are worth

growing in pots, where they invariably elicit gasps of admiration. A single specimen can be expensive, and they can be tricky to propagate, so use echeverias
sparingly and display them prominently.
Echeveria imbricata (to 6 inches in diameter) forms silvery blue, saucer-shaped
rosettes edged in cream. Leaves look metallic, and ﬂowers are orange-red.
Echeveria agavoides has stiff, pointed chartreuse leaves that, when given adequate light, turn crimson along the edges. Because of its brilliant red leaf tips,
nurseries sometimes refer to it as “lipstick echeveria.”
The showiest of Echeveria cultivars resemble cabbage roses and indeed are as
large as cabbages. Some are beautifully rufﬂed along the edges. Echeveria ‘Afterglow’ (to 12 inches in diameter) has purple leaves rimmed with red. Similarly
sized E. ‘Crinoline’ lives up to its name, as does E. ‘Blue Crinkles’. To keep the
plants compact as the stems elongate, remove and replant their heads.
Echeveria pulvinata (6 inches high and 18 inches wide) is a showy, mounding plant with blue-green leaves tipped in red. Flowers appear in clusters that
resemble little lanterns; these are ﬁve-petalled, pendant, and orange-red. This
fuzzy plant is lovely when backlit.

Small, Low-Growing, and Ground Cover Succulents

Euphorbia
Low-growing Euphorbia ﬂanaganii and E. caput-medusae (both spreading to 18
inches) share the common name Medusa plant, because their prostrate, snakelike leaves resemble locks of hair. Numerous green and bumpy stems radiate from
the middle of the plant and produce a corona of tiny yellow ﬂowers. Tendrils of E.
ﬂanaganii plants are looser, thinner, and messier than those of E. caput-medusae,
which are cylindrical and symmetrically arranged, with a more clearly deﬁned
central point.
Euphorbia resinifera (to 18 inches high), from Morocco, forms tight clumps of
inch-thick, four-sided, upright cylinders. It is hardy to 20°F (for short periods).
Its poisonous sap is very irritating to skin.

Soft mounds of Graptopetalum paraguayense and Aloe
brevifolia (in bloom) add
a touch of the exotic and
lighten the formality of
the entry to this Italianate
estate. Green rosettes in
the middle are Echeveria
â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dondoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Design by Rosecroft
owner Scott Clifton, San Diego

Haworthia attenuata

Hoya bloom

Small, Low-Growing, and Ground Cover Succulents

Gasteria
Gasteria (to 6 inches high and 12 inches wide) plants have thick, narrow leaves
that often are stacked tightly atop each other or form stemless rosettes. Common varieties are dark green and speckled with white dots or blotches. They are
useful in pots and rock gardens, prefer semishade, and cannot handle frost. The
name comes from the shape of the ﬂowers, which resemble little stomachs; these
appear along slender, arching stems. A hybrid of Gasteria and Haworthia, Gasworthia, is covered with raised white protuberances that have a pebbly texture.

Graptopetalum
Graptopetalum paraguayense (clumps to 18 inches tall, spreads indeﬁnitely),
commonly known as ghost plant, resembles Echeveria. Silvery gray rosettes of
oval leaves, pointed at the tips, are covered with a powdery ﬁlm. Plants will turn
gray-blue when grown in shade and pink-yellow in full sun. Leaves break off
easily. Grow G. paraguayense in a container or as a ground cover for areas that
receive no foot trafﬁc. Plants produced by crossing Graptopetalum and Echeveria
are known as Graptoveria.

Haworthia
Colonies of Haworthia grow so closely together that plants overlap. Their plump,
wedge-shaped leaves form tight rosettes. One of the most common species, H.
attenuata (to 12 inches), forms spiky rosettes of pointed leaves; it resembles a
miniature aloe banded with raised white ridges. Grow it in tabletop pots and on
windowsills, where its zebra stripes and tight symmetry can be admired. Protect
it from intense sun, but provide enough bright light to bring out the reddish hues
in the leaves. Haworthias are winter growers that go dormant in the hottest summer months. They are native to South Africa.

Hoya
These tropical, vining plants have rigid, glossy leaves and bowl-shaped clusters of star-shaped ﬂowers so stiff and shiny they seem made of wax. Provide
rich soil, regular water, warm temperatures, and sun protection. Plants thrive
in bright shade and humid hothouses, blooming best when potbound. Hoya carnosa twines to 10 or 20 feet and has fragrant blooms. Water minimally during
winter dormancy.

Ice Plants
Ground covers formerly classiﬁed as Mesembryanthemum (and commonly
called mesembs or ice plants) include Delosperma, Drosanthemum, Malephora,
and Lampranthus. Stems can reach several feet in length and eventually form
shrubby mounds. The name ice plant likely comes from the appearance of the
leaves of certain varieties, which appear coated with ice crystals. Plants produce
neon-bright ﬂowers all at once and for several weeks in spring. The rest of the
year they form a green or gray-blue mass with a smattering of blooms. Do not
hesitate to mix colors; such combinations are simple, low-maintenance, and a
delight to the eye.
Ice plants cannot be walked on, but they make great ﬁllers for slopes and other
low-trafﬁc areas and ﬁll in so densely they discourage weed growth.
Drosanthemum ﬂoribundum (rosea ice plant) is among the most common; its
overlapping, dime-sized blooms are shades of shimmering magenta or lavenderpink. Brilliant orange Eschscholzia californica (California poppies) bloom at the
same time—an easy combination to create in a garden, and one that is unforgettable.

Several varieties of ice plant blend beautifully alongside a driveway, with palo verde
(Parkinsonia aculeata) in the background, and an Aloe saponaria hybrid in the
foreground. San Diego. Design by owner Ava Torre-Bueno

200

Plant Palette

A multicolored
assortment of Lithops

Lithops
Commonly called “living stones,” Lithops resemble small, rounded pebbles—a
camouﬂage that protects them from grazing animals in their native habitat. The
stemless, leaﬂess succulents are from South Africa, where they subsist on minimal rainfall. They need infrequent watering, low humidity, protection from frost,
and full sun four to ﬁve hours a day. When you bring home a pot of lithops from
a nursery, introduce them gradually to direct sunlight to prevent burning the
leaves. If the nubby plants elongate, they are not getting enough light. Give no
water during summer dormancy. Do not be concerned if outer leaves shrivel;
they do this to drain their ﬂuids to promote new growth. In the fall, when mature
plants begin to split open to send forth daisylike ﬂowers, drench the soil occasionally. Allow it to dry completely between waterings. Let plants rest during
the winter without water, and then give them several good drenchings in spring.
Grow lithops in coarse, free-draining soil, in a pot deep enough (at least 6 inches)
to accommodate their long taproots. Display them with rounded stones that have
similarly mottled, earthy colors.
Another South African succulent similar to Lithops is Fenestraria, commonly
called baby’s toes. Plants are capped with a window of translucent tissue that lets
sunlight enter their short (1 to 3 inches), green, cylindrical stems.

Small, Low-Growing, and Ground Cover Succulents

Pachyphytum oviferum

Portulaca grandiﬂora

Pachyphytum
Though related to Echeveria, Pachyphytum is distinctive in that the leaves of
its rosettes are fat and oval, like elongated pebbles (one common name is moon
stones). Pachyphytum oviferum (to 6 inches in diameter) is so named because
its leaves resemble ﬂattened eggs. Pachyphytums are not found readily even in
nurseries that specialize in succulents, so when you do run across one, it is worth
buying and enjoying as a curiosity. Plants are fragile and leaves break off easily, so
take care when handling them, and grow them in protected pots rather than in
the ground. Pachyphytums produce arching bloom spikes massed with pendant
ﬂowers. New plants can be propagated from orphaned leaves.
×Pachyveria, a hybrid of Pachyphytum and Echeveria, has thick-leaved rosettes
on stems that endlessly elongate. Numerous varieties exist, but the most common have leaves of pale purple-gray. ×Pachyveria is easily confused with Graptoveria and Graptopetalum; even experts can have a difﬁcult time telling them
apart. They are intriguing when juxtaposed with agaves and kalanchoes with
similarly colored blue-gray leaves.

Portulaca
Portulaca grandiﬂora, also known as rose moss, is among the few annual succulents. Candy-colored ﬂowers resemble poppies (or, if rufﬂed, miniature
roses). This mat-forming ground cover with stems to 18 inches long is a cheerful
enhancement to any garden, thrives in full sun and poor soil, and is beautiful in
hanging baskets. Position where sunlight will make the petals glow. Flowers close
in low light; look for new cultivars that stay open longer as sunlight wanes.

201

202

Plant Palette

Schlumbergera hybrid

Sedum kimnachii in bloom

Small, Low-Growing, and Ground Cover Succulents

Schlumbergera
These epiphytic plants live in trees in the tropics and do best when grown in
containers and hanging baskets. Schlumbergera hybrids are also called Christmas cactus, but unlike other cacti, they need humus-rich soil that stays moist.
They produce profuse, decorative, vivid, and frilly blooms from ﬂattened, jointed
stems. Flowers range in color from coral to hot pink. To encourage bud formation, begin withholding water in late autumn (November in North America), and
provide nighttime temperatures of between 50° and 55°F, plus 12 hours of darkness daily. Once buds form, keep the soil moderately moist. Give weekly applications of fertilizer while plants bloom.

Sedum
Sedum is a large genus, and low-growing varieties tend to prefer rocky terrain—hence the common name stonecrop. Ground cover sedums are appealing tucked into rock gardens, and they make good ﬁller for container plantings.
Nurseries and garden centers sell various ornamental sedums by the ﬂat. Combine an assortment to make a patchwork quilt, to ﬁll gaps in stone pathways, or
line hanging baskets with ﬂats of the ﬁne-textured
ground cover. (Invert the ﬂat into the wire basket so
the plants face outward, patch any gaps with moss,
ﬁll the basket with soil, and plant cascading succulents in the top.)
Sedum kimnachii (rosettes to 2 inches in diameter)
has glossy chartreuse leaves and bright yellow spring
blooms. Grow it where it will form a carpet, or use in
terraces and hanging baskets as a cascading ﬁller.
Sedum morganianum (donkey tail, burro tail) has
ever-lengthening stems covered with overlapping
pale-green leaves that pop off easily. From a distance,
stems appear braided. Excellent in hanging baskets
and rock gardens if protected from wind. Sedum
‘Burrito’ is one of several similar plants that have
shorter, fatter leaves and “tails.”
Few succulents offer the bold color of Sedum
nussbaumerianum (rosettes to 3 inches in diameter).
Its golden bronze leaves make a striking contrast
to gray-leaved succulents and artemisias. Unfortunately, it is difﬁcult to ﬁnd in nurseries. Although it
forms lovely clumps, it eventually gets leggy. Growth
is on stem tips, and as older leaves shrivel, stems are
denuded.
Sedum morganianum

203

204

Plant Palette

Sedum ×rubrotinctum in bloom

Sedum nussbaumerianum

One sedum that unfailingly delights children is Sedum ×rubrotinctum (to 4
inches). Also known as pork and beans, the elongated leaves more closely resemble jelly beans.

Sempervivum
Sempervivum means always living, doubtless an acknowledgement of the plant’s
ability to grow on rooftops and in similarly adverse conditions. Tight balls of
leaves with pointed tips eventually multiply into large clumps. Use sempervivums to create carpets of texture and color, either in wide, shallow pots or in
rockeries. When a rosette ﬂowers, it dies, but not all of a cluster’s rosettes bloom
at once, so the overall appearance of the grouping seldom is compromised.
Sempervivum comprises approximately 40 species and more than 3000 cultivars, with rosettes that range in size from a few inches to a foot or more across.
Leaf color varies from deep burgundy to pale silvery white. Depending on the
amount of sunlight the plants receive, some will turn yellow, orange, pink, or red.
When grown in shade, most revert to green. Leaf texture can be glossy, waxy, or
covered with downy hairs. The plants are summer-dormant, winter growers.

A cluster of sempervivums ﬁlls a pot; Senecio rowleyanus spills over the side.
Design by Margee Rader

Small, Low-Growing, and Ground Cover Succulents

205

206

Plant Palette

Senecio

Senecio articulatus

More than 1000 species make up the genus Senecio,
and some are not succulents, but all have in common
daisylike ﬂowers arranged in small clusters atop
slender stems. Garden designers delight in using two
varieties of blue senecio as ornamental ground covers: S. mandraliscae, to 6 or 8 inches high, and S. serpens, to 4 inches. Few plants, succulent or otherwise,
provide such striking color in the garden. Bright silvery blue leaves are cylindrical and tapered. Senecios are summer-dormant; they will tolerate some
summer water but prefer to be dry.
Plants with bright red ﬂowers or bracts—such
as geraniums, Euphorbia milii (crown of thorns), or
bougainvillea—are dramatic when combined with
a blue senecio, as is Echinocactus grusonii (golden
barrel cactus), which offers texture as well as color
contrast. Blue senecios are also effective in monochromatic combinations.
Commonly called string of pearls, Senecio rowleyanus forms long strands of pea-sized green beads that
make it ideally suited to—and striking in—hanging
baskets. Similar in size and growth habit is Ceropegia
woodii (rosary vine), a trailing succulent with heartshaped, gray-green leaves mottled with white.
Stems of Senecio articulatus (candle plant) are
jointed cylinders that resemble link sausages, except
they are light green streaked with red. These lie
along the ground or cascade down the sides of a pot
until their weight causes them to break away from
the parent plant.

Small, Low-Growing, and Ground Cover Succulents

207

Stapelia gigantea in bloom

Stapelia
Stapelia grandiďŹ&#x201A;ora, S. gigantea, and other plants of the genus grow to several feet
long. Leaves are thick, four-angled, and stemlike (to 12 inches high) with ridged
edges. In midsummer, plants produce plump, peaked buds that resemble the
domes of a Russian Orthodox church. These open into furry, star-shaped ďŹ&#x201A;owers that are orange, red, or yellow, banded with brown or white. Flowers have
a strong scent, which some say is similar to rotting meatâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;hence the common
name, carrion plant.

208

Plant Palette

Chapter Ten

Companion
Plants

Red bougainvillea is a classic companion for blue Agave americana.

209

210

Plant Palette

Dozens of ornamental landscape plants perform beautifully when given the
same conditions in which succulents do best. Unless otherwise noted in their
descriptions, the plants listed in this chapter share several cultivation requirements with succulents:
Prefer soil that drains well and is moderately fertile, but not necessarily richly
amended
Are drought-tolerant and need minimal water once established
Do best in full sun or dappled shade (bright shade in desert areas)
Do not grow well with excessive rainfall or high humidity
Can tolerate some frost, but do best when temperatures stay above freezing
Thrive in areas with hot, dry summers when watered regularly
For greater detail on the growth habits and requirements of these and other
dry-climate plants, consult the experts at your local nursery or a trusted garden
guide. As you plan your landscape, pay particular attention to how large these
plants will grow, and position them so they will not engulf slower-growing succulents nearby. The sizes listed with each entry indicate how large the plants will
be at maturity, unless otherwise noted.

Annuals
Eschscholzia californica (California poppy)
Plants to 12 inches; ﬂowers 4 inches in diameter
This poppy relative and state ﬂower of California announces spring by blanketing hillsides with bright orange blooms. Satiny, ﬁve-petalled ﬂowers fold at
night and on cloudy days. Leaves are gray-green and feathery. California poppies
are easy to cultivate by seed, and once naturalized, return year after year.
Tropaeolum majus (nasturtium)
Vines reach 6 feet or more; bush varieties spread to 3 feet
Leaves atop slender stems resemble paper-thin water lily pads. Flowers are
edible and range in color from pale yellow to bright red and orange. This spring
and summer bloomer starts readily from seed and prefers sandy soil and bright
shade. Does well on slopes, especially in coastal areas. Can be invasive; do not let
it smother nearby plants.

Bulbs and Corms
Babiana stricta (baboon ﬂower)
Leaves 8 to 12 inches; ﬂower stalks 12 to 18 inches
From the midst of fans of slender, ribbed green leaves rise S-shaped stems with
ﬂowers that resemble miniature, blue-purple gladiolus. Babiana is well suited to
the Southwest, where growing conditions are similar to its native South Africa:
wet winters followed by prolonged dry spells. Naturalizes readily. After foliage
turns dry and brown, harvest bulbils that hug the base of ﬂower stems. Plant in
drifts for swaths of color in spring.
Amaryllis belladonna (belladonna lily, naked ladies)
Plants 12 inches high and 2 feet wide; ﬂower stalks 2 to 3 feet
Onion-sized bulbs store water during winter rains and need little or no irrigation thereafter. Lush, strap-shaped foliage appears in late winter and spring

212

Plant Palette

and then dies back. In late summer, sweetly scented,
pink lilylike ﬂowers appear on leaﬂess stems that rise
from the tops of exposed bulbs—hence the common
name naked ladies. Bulbs are long-lived and like to
be crowded; they may not bloom for a year or more
once disturbed.
Crocosmia ×crocosmiiﬂora (montbretia)
Leaves 3 feet; ﬂower spikes 18 inches
Flowers grow along arching, airy stems above
lancelike, ﬂoppy foliage; they range in color from
yellow to scarlet. Plants offer welcome color during
midsummer months, when many perennials are dormant. From South Africa.

Amaryllis belladonna

Sparaxis tricolor (harlequin ﬂower)
Leaves to 12 inches; ﬂower stems 12 to 18 inches
One of the ﬁrst bulbs to appear in spring, sparaxis
has dainty, six-petalled ﬂowers atop slender stems.
Most common colors are red or white, although pink,
orange, and purple varieties are available. Flowers
have a distinctive yellow center set off by a dark ring.
Naturalizes readily; plant in well-drained soil and
withhold summer water. Harvest bulbils from the
base of each ﬂower stem when foliage dies back.
Watsonia borbonica
Leaves 2 ½ feet; ﬂower stalks 4 to 6 feet
Watsonia provides eye-level color; when planted
in drifts, it is striking viewed from a distance. Like
other South African bulbs, it prefers dry summers.
Colors vary, but white, coral, and pink are most common. Flowers resemble gladiolus but are smaller and
more slender. Plant bulbs at least 6 inches deep to
help anchor tall stems, which may need to be staked.
Divide clumps after several years.

Sparaxis tricolor

Companion Plants

Dymondia margaretae

Ground Covers
Dymondia margaretae
2 to 3 inches; spreads indeﬁnitely
This South African native makes an excellent
lawn substitute, and there is no better drought-tolerant ground cover for high-trafﬁc areas. You can
even park cars on it. Plants with ﬂeshy roots form an
interlocking mat of slender green leaves with white
undersides. Produces insigniﬁcant, daisylike yellow
ﬂowers.

Prostrate rosemary trails over a wall.

Myoporum parvifolium
3 to 6 inches; spreads up to 9 feet
This trailing ground cover has dense green leaves that resemble large grains
of rice. Dime-sized white ﬂowers appear in summer. Myoporum ﬁlls in rapidly;
space plants 6 to 8 feet apart. It is good on slopes and banks, but not for areas
with foot trafﬁc. Hybrids have red stems and purple-green new growth.
Rosmarinus ofﬁcinalis Prostratus Group (prostrate rosemary)
To 2 feet; spreads 4 to 8 feet
Prostrate rosemary (often seen as ‘Prostratus’) cascading over a terrace
or retaining wall is a green waterfall, sparkling with tiny blue ﬂowers. Plants
are tough, fragrant, and long-blooming (autumn through spring). Tender new
growth can be harvested for use in cooking. Plants eventually become woody and
will need to be replaced or removed.

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Plant Palette

Herbaceous Perennials
Achillea millefolium (common yarrow)
Plants 12 to 18 inches high; ﬂower stalks 2 to 3 feet
Yarrow has soft, ferny, aromatic leaves and ﬂowers that form ﬂat-topped clusters. Colors include
white, salmon pink, rose, and yellow. Plants spread
by underground runners but are not invasive unless
pampered by ample water and rich soil. Cut back in
summer, after bloom.
Agapanthus orientalis (lily of the Nile)
Shrubs 2 to 3 feet; ﬂower stalks 4 to 5 feet
This South African native forms fountainlike
clumps of strappy leaves, above which rise spherical, starburst clusters of trumpet-shaped ﬂowers in
shades of white, lavender, or purple-blue. Plants are
so easy-care, they are used to landscape street medians. They also do well in containers and alongside
swimming pools. Dwarf varieties are available.

Anigozanthos ﬂavidus (kangaroo paw)
Foliage 2 to 3 feet; stems to 5 feet
Unusual ﬂowers on tall, branching stalks are fuzzy
and tubular and resemble an animal’s paw. Hues
range from gold to burgundy to lime green. Flowers
attract hummingbirds and are good in cut arrangements. Foliage is upright and strappy. Plant in welldrained, sandy soil, and repeat for best effect. Will
bloom continuously from late spring to autumn if
spent stalks are removed.

Artemisia
Size varies
Plants in this genus most useful as companions for succulents have ﬁnely
divided, silver leaves—such as Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’(3 feet tall, 6 feet wide).
Artemisias are tough and unfussy, despite their delicate appearance. Flowers are
insigniﬁcant. Shrubs become leggy; in winter, cut them back by two-thirds to
ensure compact growth in spring.
Centranthus ruber (Jupiter’s beard, red valerian)
2 to 3 feet
Showy, conical clusters of tiny red or white ﬂowers atop slender, branching stalks make this plant desirable, but take care not to give it humus-rich soil

215

Companion Plants

and summer irrigation, or it will take over. Grow in
dry areas of the garden with poor soil, away from
cultivated beds. Remove spent ﬂower stalks to prevent reseeding. Blooms spring through summer, and
then top growth dies; cut to the ground to keep new
growth lush.
Coreopsis
1 to 2 feet
This genus of the daisy family comprises around
80 species of annuals and perennials. Flowers on
slender stems appear in spring and summer, in bright
hues of yellow and gold. Many of the perennial varieties will grow in poor, stony soil. Use coreopsis for
a no-fuss ﬁller that is effective alongside succulents
with blue-gray leaves.
Dietes bicolor (fortnight lily)
2 to 4 feet
These clump-forming plants with stiff, narrow
leaves and six-petalled ﬂowers resemble Japanese
iris. Common Dietes iridioides, which grows large
and produces white ﬂowers, is not as versatile or
desirable a landscape plant as smaller D. bicolor,
which has butter-cream ﬂowers marked with three
yellow-brown dots. Plants bloom spring through
autumn in bursts that last two weeks. Deadhead to
prevent reseeding. Divide in autumn or winter.

Centranthus ruber

Coreopsis

216

Erigeron karvinskianus

Plant Palette

Gaura lindheimeri

Encelia farinosa (brittle bush)
2 to 6 feet
This desert shrub is native to the Southwest and northern Mexico. Early settlers used its resinous stems to make incense. Shrubs are airy, with silvery leaves
that contrast with clusters of bright yellow daisies. Will survive on rainfall, but
will grow larger—and lankier—with irrigation.
Erigeron karvinskianus (Santa Barbara daisy, Mexican daisy)
10 to 20 inches
Mounding shrubs with ﬁne, wiry stems produce a profusion of delicate, dimesized, daisylike ﬂowers in pink or white. Use as a ﬁller for ﬂowerbeds, in hanging
baskets and terraces, or as a ground cover. Can be invasive if given rich soil and
ample water.
Gaillardia ×grandiﬂora (blanket ﬂower)
2 to 4 feet
Daisylike ﬂowers appear from early summer through autumn, in hot combinations of orange, red, and yellow. Leaves are slightly lobed and hairy. Best sown

Companion Plants

Gazania

from seed, but can be propagated by division or cuttings. Requires minimal maintenance. Makes a good
ﬁller around large agaves and aloes.
Gaura lindheimeri (gaura)
3 to 4 feet
Pink or white ﬂowers atop threadlike stems
resemble butterﬂies. Flower spikes bear closely set
blossoms that open a few at a time. Deadhead spent
blooms or plants will look messy. Though delicate
in appearance, Gaura lindheimeri has a deep taproot that aids drought-tolerance. Best cultivated
from seed. Use to provide textural contrast alongside
thick-leaved succulents, such as Agave guiengola.

Gazania hybrids (African daisies)
Plants 6 inches; ﬂower stems 6 to 10 inches
These South African natives produce brilliant sunﬂower-like blooms in hues
that include cream, orange, scarlet, and reddish brown. The ﬁrst ﬂush is in early
spring, followed by smattered bloom through autumn. Gazanias are spectacular
when massed on slopes. Undersides of deeply lobed leaves are silvery and sometimes hairy. Petals may have a dark starburst or ring of black dots surrounding
the yellow center. Gazania resembles Osteospermum and Arctotis but is brighter
and tougher.
Hemerocallis hybrids (daylily)
Size varies according to variety
Few ﬂowering perennials are as accommodating as daylilies. Reblooming
plants produce ﬂowers from spring through autumn, tolerate almost any kind
of soil, and do not mind being over- or under-watered. Daylily hybrids come

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Plant Palette

in a multitude of ﬂower colors, including magenta,
pink, and red, which effectively echo the hues of redleaved succulents, such as Kalanchoe luciae. Striking
when massed. Dwarf varieties are available.
Lavandula (lavender)
Size varies
Lavender offers color, fragrance, texture, and ease
of care. Purple ﬂoral spires top slender stems that
rise above dense, ferny, gray-green foliage. For best
bloom, plant in an area that gets at least six hours of
sunlight daily. Plants do well on decomposed granite slopes and require little or no fertilizer. Shear
after ﬂowering, twice a year, to keep shrubs tidy. Soil
should be moist, but not wet, while plants are young.
Once established, water sparingly.

Leonotis leonurus

Leonotis leonurus (lion’s tail)
4 to 6 feet tall and as wide
This South African native offers bright color in
summer and autumn, with furry tubular ﬂowers that
are tawny orange—like a lion’s tail—and that form
ball-shaped tufts along tall, upright stems. Narrow
leaves are toothed and 2 to 5 inches long. Give full
sun and rich soil that drains well. Cut back heavily in
early spring to encourage new growth and bloom. Stunning when grown alongside blue agaves. Reseeds freely.
Limonium perezii (sea lavender, statice)
To 3 feet with 2- to 3-foot ﬂower clusters
Tiny, delicate ﬂowers are papery and massed atop stiff, branched stems—ideal
for dried ﬂoral arrangements. Large and leathery leaves at the base of ﬂower
stalks form dense clumps. Plants tolerate heat but not frost, and they prefer
sandy, fast-draining soil. Blooms from late winter into spring, at the same time
as many aloes; the two ﬂower colors—lavender and orange—complement each
other nicely. In a benign climate, statice reseeds freely, to the point of being invasive. Thrives in beach gardens.
Mimulus (monkey ﬂower)
3 or 4 feet, depending on variety
These shrubs are characterized by tubular, ﬂared ﬂowers that suggest grinning monkey faces. Flowers range in color from brown and orange through yellow, pink, and crimson. Most species are native to cool Paciﬁc coastal regions
that do not experience frost. Shrubs are woody perennials that need pruning to

Companion Plants

Limonium perezii amid
boulders. Design by owner
Peggy Petitmermet

maintain compactness. Grow in full sun along the
coast, part shade inland.
Oenothera speciosa (Mexican evening primrose)
1 to 3 feet
Showy pink ﬂowers bloom so profusely in spring
they resemble cumulus clouds. But use with caution; this exquisite perennial is nearly impossible to
eradicate once established. Underground rhizomes
will invade any area where soil is moist. Do not place
Mexican evening primrose near prized, well-watered
plants in rich soil; it will grow rank and smother the
others. Plant only in containers, in poor-soil areas
that go dry in summer, or where surrounded by several feet of hardscape. Mexican evening primrose is
an excellent companion for Agave americana; the
primrose cannot choke the agave, and the ﬂuffy,
somewhat twining ﬂowers contrast beautifully with
the agave’s bulk.

219

Oenothera speciosa

220

A variegated phormium
is surrounded by red
bougainvillea and Agave
americana.

Plant Palette

Pelargonium peltatum (ivy geranium)
18 to 24 inches; spreads to 5 feet
Bright green, glossy leaves resemble ivy, and plants have an ivylike growth
habit. Trailing stems produce vivid, long-lasting blooms from spring through
autumn. ‘Balkan’ strains are particularly tolerant of hot, dry conditions and are
self-deadheading (the dry ﬂowers fall off the plants without assistance). Makes a
good plant for hanging baskets, window boxes, and terraced plantings. Combine
ivy geraniums that have white-edged leaves with variegated succulents, such as
Agave americana ‘Mediopicta Alba’.
Phormium (New Zealand ﬂax)
Size varies
With their up-thrusting, sword-shaped leaves, phormiums are dramatic foliage plants and make a striking backdrop when grown solely or en masse. Their
spiky, fan-shaped silhouettes repeat those of many succulents, such as yuccas
and agaves. In summer, ﬂax produces tall, branching ﬂower spikes that attract
nectar-loving birds. Olive-green and bronze varieties of Phormium tenax are
most common, but colorful hybrids of P. tenax and P. cookianum (such as peachtoned P. ‘Maori Maiden’) are gaining popularity.

Companion Plants

221

Romneya coulteri blossom

Romneya coulteri (matilija poppy)
6 to 8 feet; spreads indeﬁnitely
These summer-ﬂowering, woody-stemmed perennials have gray-green leaves
and 6-inch-diameter, crinkly white ﬂowers with yellow centers (they resemble
fried eggs). Romneya can be difﬁcult to establish, and then difﬁcult to eradicate
once established. Plants propagate by underground rhizomes and will encroach
on watered garden beds. Use in borderline areas that go dry in summer. White
ﬂowers on tall stems make an airy backdrop and are effective in contrast with
large agaves, aloes, and yuccas. Cut to the ground in late summer or autumn.
Santolina chamaecyparissus (lavender cotton)
2 feet tall; 3 feet wide
Use this mounding, spreading shrub to add color and texture to bare spots in
the garden. Gray foliage is ﬁne-textured, dense, and aromatic; profuse summer
ﬂowers resemble yellow buttons. Cut almost to the ground in winter. Gets woody
and unattractive if not pruned back.
Senecio cineraria (dusty miller)
2 feet tall and as wide
This perennial shrub’s silvery foliage is lovely when massed. Use as a foreground plant in semishaded spots and in pots and window boxes. Prune to
maintain compactness. Contrast dusty miller with red-leaved succulents and
magenta-black Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’. Place alongside pathways to
reﬂect light at night, and use as a ﬁller in ﬂoral arrangements.

222

Plant Palette

Strelitzia reginae ﬂower

Strelitzia reginae (bird of paradise)
5 to 6 feet high and as wide
These magniﬁcent, fan-shaped shrubs are grown
for their ﬂowers, which resemble exotic orangeand-blue birds. Blooms best during cooler months
and when its tuberous roots are crowded. Leaves
are green-gray and oar-shaped. Give full sun to part
shade and protect from frost. Get young plants off
to a good start with regular water and well-drained
soil enriched with organic matter. Once established,
bird of paradise is tough and drought-tolerant. Does
well in coastal gardens.

Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’ with aloes and other
succulents. Design by Judy Casanova

Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’
1 to 1 ½ feet; spreads indeﬁnitely
Because of the deep magenta-purple of its leaves,
this creeping perennial from Mexico adds rich color
to succulent gardens. It forms spreading clumps, and
although it will grow through other plants, it is not
invasive. Leaves are long, tapered ovals; pink ﬂowers
are small and insigniﬁcant. Protect from frost and
intense sun and provide moderate water.
Zauschneria californica (California fuchsia)
1 to 2 feet
The ﬂowers of this low, spreading California
native are bright red and resemble fuchsias; leaves
are lancelike and dark green. Blooms from late summer into autumn. Roots can be invasive, and plants
will look rangy if not pruned back in winter.

Companion Plants

223

Trees and Shrubs
Abutilon palmeri (Indian mallow)
To 5 feet
Abutilons have pendant, bell-shaped ﬂowers that
attract hummingbirds. Abutilon palmeri is native to
the low deserts of California and Arizona. In spring,
it produces clusters of small (1-inch) golden-orange
ﬂowers. The plant is prized for its velvety, heartshaped leaves, which can be as large as dinner plates.
Protect from frost.
Acacia
Size varies by species; average is 30 feet
The dozen or more species of Acacia sold in nurseries range from low-growing shrubs to tall, spreading trees. One of the most popular, A. baileyana, grows
rapidly to 10 or 15 feet and has ﬁne, ferny, gray-green
foliage; it produces masses of ﬂuffy yellow ﬂowers
in midwinter. The downside to most acacias is that
they are short-lived and shallow-rooted; do not plant
them in exposed areas prone to gusty winds. Good
choices for succulent gardens include A. cultriformis (knife acacia, to 10 or 15 feet high and as wide), a
multistemmed tree with small, sickle-shaped leaves;
A. karroo (karroo thorn, to 25 feet tall), striking to
look at, with wicked thorns in pairs and yellow puffball blooms; A. podalyriifolia (pearl acacia, 10 to 20
feet high, spreading 12 to 15 feet), which provides
good winter color but cannot tolerate summer water;
and A. willardiana (palo blanco, to 20 feet high and
10 feet wide), with papery, peeling white bark and
stringy leaves.

Alyogyne huegelii (blue hibiscus)
6 to 8 feet
This lovely, open-branching mini-tree from Australia has dark green foliage; ﬂowers are glossy purple and suggest single-petalled hibiscus. Satiny petals
are delicate and translucent. Give full sun, shelter
from wind, and protection from frost. Plants do best
in fertile soil that drains well.
Alyogyne huegelii

224

Plant Palette

Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree)
To 30 feet
This bushy Mediterranean native with glossy green leaves produces pinkish
white, grapelike bunches of ﬂowers. These turn into clusters of edible but insipid
fruits that resemble strawberries and vary in color from red to orange to yellow. Branches have peeling bark with a reddish hue, similar to manzanita. Arbutus unedo does well throughout the Southwest, from the desert to the seashore.
‘Compacta’ is a dwarf variety (to 10 feet).

Arctostaphylos manzanita (manzanita)
5 to 20 feet high; 4 to 10 feet wide
Manzanita is prized for its burgundy-colored bark and its tolerance for rocky
soil. This California native is a slow-growing, woody shrub with leathery oval
leaves. After ﬂowering, it produces clusters of pea-sized red berries that resemble apples (manzanita is Spanish for little apple). Water infrequently and provide
excellent drainage.

Companion Plants

Buddleja davidii bloom

Brahea armata (Mexican blue fan palm)
To 20 feet
This palm handles temperatures well below
freezing and is drought-tolerant. The pale blue-gray
color of its stiff fronds makes a perfect counterpoint
to similarly colored succulents (such as Agave americana, Senecio serpens, and Crassula arborescens).
For a striking combination, underplant it with Festuca glauca. Mexican blue fan palms are slow growing, but even small plants are worth having for their
foliage.
Buddleja davidii (butterﬂy bush)
Butia capitata. Gary Mills garden, Encinitas. Design by Jeff
6 to 10 feet tall and as wide
Moore
Butterﬂies feed on the nectar of this plant’s conical bloom spikes, which are densely packed with tiny
ﬂowers. Silvery leaves are slender and fuzzy. Most common ﬂower colors are
shades of purple, but hybrids also are available in yellow, magenta, white, and
pink. Provide good drainage and just enough water, once established, to maintain
growth. Plants become woody and overgrown, so prune in winter to reduce size
and encourage lush spring growth.
Butia capitata (pindo palm, jelly palm)
To 20 feet
This vigorous, easy-to-grow tree has a rough gray trunk and long gray-green
fronds that resemble arching feathers. Panicles of fragrant yellow or purplish
ﬂowers appear in spring, followed by clusters of fruit in summer. Edible pulp is
used to make jelly and wine.

225

226

Plant Palette

Calliandra californica

Callistemon

Ceanothus

Companion Plants

Caesalpinia
Size varies
These delicate trees and shrubs (formerly Poinciana) are legumes. Showy red
and yellow ﬂowers with conspicuous stamens are followed by ornamental pods.
Does well in any hot, sunny location if growing in well-drained soil. Water infrequently and deeply. Frost tolerance varies by species.
Calliandra californica (Baja fairy duster)
5 to 6 feet high and as wide
Prized for its ferny foliage and red powder puff ﬂowers, this airy shrub is
tougher than it looks. It will get by on minimal water but thrives—and will bloom
continuously—when given regular irrigation. Prune to shape. Native to Baja California.
Callistemon (bottlebrush)
Size varies; 20 feet or more
Bottlebrush, which needs little or no pruning, makes a good hedge and background plant dotted with color. Upward-arching shrubs and trees produce tufted
red ﬂowers that resemble spiky, cylindrical brushes. The common tree variety,
Callistemon citrinus, grows rapidly to 20 or 30 feet, and dwarf varieties are available. Callistemon viminalis (weeping bottlebrush) has pendant branches. Flowers attract hummingbirds. Very drought-tolerant once established.
Cassia ﬁstula (golden shower tree)
To 30 feet
Pendant branches of medium-green leaves produce showy yellow ﬂower clusters from spring through autumn. This native of India does best in hot, dry locations. Seedpods follow ﬂowers and can be messy. Prune when young to shape the
tree and after ﬂowering.
Ceanothus (California lilac)
Size varies depending on species
Entire hillsides in chaparral areas of California turn blue in late February and
early March when the “wild lilac” blooms. Finely textured clusters of indigo, pale
blue, or white ﬂowers are fragrant and fragile. During the rest of the year, shrubs
make good background plants. Do not irrigate or amend the soil (many cultivars
prefer clay soil). Ceanothus does best when grown with other natives. Plants
tend to be short-lived in cultivation; choose named varieties for best results.

227

228

Plant Palette

Cercidium (palo verde)
25 to 30 feet
The common name means green bark in Spanish, which describes the tree’s
most distinctive characteristic. Cercidium is native to the Southwest and lower
Colorado basin. Trees form a broad crown with densely massed branches that
produce tiny yellow ﬂowers in spring. Cercidium ‘Desert Museum’ is a hybrid of
C. ﬂoridum, C. microphyllum, and Parkinsonia aculeata. It ﬂowers profusely, is
thornless, and produces minimal leaf litter. Good for desert gardens.
Chamelaucium uncinatum (geraldton waxﬂower)
6 to 8 feet
Large shrubs with an open growth habit have delicate, threadlike leaves and
dainty, dime-sized, ﬁve-petalled ﬂowers. These are rosy purple or pink and are
grown commercially for ﬂoral arrangements. Plants thrive in full sun and prefer
slightly alkaline, fast-draining soil. Cut back after bloom.
Chilopsis linearis (desert willow)
10 to 15 feet
Desert willow is native to the Southwest and northern Mexico. It is prized
for showy trumpet-shaped ﬂowers that grow on branch ends from late spring
through summer, then leave behind long seedpods. Flower colors range from
white to dark pink and lavender. These shrubby trees have an open growth
habit, with rough-barked branches that twist at odd angles. Although its narrow,
pointed leaves resemble those of many willows, Chilopsis is unrelated.
Cistus (rockrose)
Size depends on variety
Easy-care, evergreen shrubs are massed with crinkly, single-petalled white or
pink ﬂowers from spring into early summer, then bloom sporadically thereafter.
Out of bloom, their gray-green foliage makes a pleasant, low-maintenance backdrop.
Citrus (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, and so on)
Size depends on variety
Citrus trees get by on surprisingly little water once established. They do best,
however, with regular irrigation, seasonal applications of high-nitrogen fertilizer, and fast-draining soil. Summer heat enhances sweetness of fruit—which is
useful, ornamental, and echoes in midwinter the orange of aloe blooms.

Companion Plants

Chilopsis linearis

Citrus

Cotoneaster
Size varies
These ornamental shrubs and small trees are grown for their bright red berries, which provide cheerful color in autumn and winter. Use species with a
dense, spreading habit on dry slopes for erosion control. They also make a good
hedge. Prone to ﬁre blight (a bacterial disease). Pruning may inhibit berry production.
Cycas revoluta (sago palm)
To 10 feet high and as wide
Sago palms are not actually palms—a different genus—but they provide a similar, tropical look of lushness. The cycad’s overall shape echoes those of yuccas
and agaves, while its stiff, glossy, dark green fronds provide an effective texture
contrast to large, thick agaves. Cycas revoluta requires regular water (it is not
drought-tolerant) and partial shade. Position prominently against a simple backdrop.

229

230

Echium candicans, agaves,
and yellow Euryops
pectinatus

Plant Palette

Echium candicans (syn. E. fastuosum) (pride of Madeira)
5 to 6 feet tall; 6 to 10 feet wide
Few shrubs produce such magniﬁcent conical ﬂower spikes. These rise several feet above the plant and are massed with blue-purple tubular blooms. Leaves
are gray-green and hairy; take care when pruning, as they can irritate skin. Grow
in fast-draining soil and water sparingly. Suitable for beach gardens. Position
against walls or sky to show ﬂower clusters to advantage. Makes a good samesized companion for large aloes and agaves. Deadhead after bloom, and prune to
keep compact. Short-lived, but reseeds freely.

Companion Plants

Eremophila maculata (spotted emu bush)
3 to 6 feet tall and as wide
This rounded shrub has ﬁnely textured, graygreen leaves and berrylike fruits that are eaten, in
their native habitat, by emus (large Australian birds).
Yellow, red, or pink tubular ﬂowers have spotted
throats and recurved (backward curving) petals.
Eremophila ‘Aurea’ has golden-yellow, unspotted
ﬂowers; E. maculata ‘Pink Beauty’ has profuse pink
ﬂowers.
Erythrina (coral tree)
15 to 40 feet, depending on species
These trees are subtropical and therefore require
moderate water; however, withhold irrigation in
dry weather (once established) to prevent rapid
growth that can lead to limb breakage. Coral trees
can become huge, and their large roots—which grow
along the surface of the ground—can be invasive, so
select a location with care. They are prized for their
brilliant, coral-red ﬂowers, which are stunning in
juxtaposition with the bloom spikes of aloes. Seeds
are poisonous.
Euphorbia cotinifolia (Caribbean copper plant)
10 to 18 feet tall; 4 to 6 feet wide
Oval leaves range in hue from red-orange to pur- Erythrina
ple on this deciduous tree, which can be pruned to
stay shrub sized. Use it as a striking backdrop for
blue-gray or orange-leaved succulents, such as blue Agave attenuata ‘Boutin
Blue’ or Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’. New plants can be started from cuttings (trimmed branches). Euphorbia cotinifolia will not tolerate frost and may
suffer dieback when temperatures drop into the mid-40s; position against a wall
or boulder that absorbs sun during the day and radiates heat at night.

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232

Euryops pectinatus

Plant Palette

Grevillea

Euryops pectinatus (freeway daisy)
3 to 6 feet tall and as wide
These low-maintenance shrubs are used to landscape highway borders and
bloom proliﬁcally early spring through summer. Though common, they serve
admirably as ﬁller, screen, or background plants. Foliage is gray-green and ﬁnely
divided; ﬂowers resemble bright yellow daisies. Good for beach gardens.
Ficus carica (edible ﬁg)
15 to 30 feet
Fig trees that bear edible fruit tend to have an open, spreading branch structure. Leaves are large and coarse, and bark is pale gray. Although they look tropical, mature ﬁg trees need no frost protection above 20°F. Trees bear two crops a
year (a small one in spring and a larger one in autumn) and are not picky about
soil, providing it drains well. Plant bare-root ﬁg trees in winter, in a sunny location. Fruiting begins after three years.

Companion Plants

Grevillea
6 to 12 feet
Most of the numerous Grevillea cultivars have
ﬁne-textured leaves and waxy ﬂowers that resemble those of bottlebrush. These are born in clusters
and are hummingbird magnets. Plants get by with
minimal water once established, but like other Proteaceae, they are ﬁnicky about soil. Give coarse,
fast-draining soil free of salt build-up and low in
phosphorus (check fertilizer label before applying).
Makes a good hedge shrub or backdrop plant.
Lagerstroemia indica (crape myrtle)
25 feet
This deciduous tree has a pleasant, open growth
habit. In summer, it produces frothy clusters of dainty
ﬂowers that range from pink to deep red. Small, oval
leaves provide dependable autumn color, and smooth
beige bark offers winter interest. An excellent tree
for hot summers in the Southwest, it may be prone to
mildew in colder, wetter climates. Prune when dormant to enhance the following year’s ﬂower show.
Very slow growing.
Lantana montevidensis (lantana)
2 feet high, with branches trailing several feet
Tiny ﬂowers in ball-shaped clusters come in combinations that range from red-orange-yellow to purple-yellow-pink. Leaves are small, glossy, and dark
green. Plants get woody, so trim back hard before
spring growth begins. Lantana makes an excellent
bank cover and contrasts effectively with yuccas,
agaves, and furcraea. Protect from frost.

Lagerstroemia indica

Lavatera maritima (syn. L. bicolor) (tree mallow)
6 to 8 feet tall; 4 feet wide
These fast-growing, ﬂowering shrubs have an airy
silhouette. Flowers resemble single hollyhocks, with
petals that are satiny purple-pink and heart-shaped, Lavatera maritima
with a deeper magenta at the centers. Gray-green
leaves are shaped like those of maples. Shrubs tend
to be short-lived (two to four years). Give full sun and prune back in autumn.
New plants start readily from cuttings. Striking when planted alongside a springblooming ice plant in the same hue, such as Drosanthemum ﬂoribundum.

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234

Plant Palette

Melaleuca quinquenervia. Design by owner Patrick Anderson

Nandina domestica. Rancho La Puerta

Nerium oleander

Companion Plants

Leptospermum scoparium (New Zealand tea tree)
8 to 10 feet
Upright shrubs are an airy mass of slender, mostly vertical branches covered
with small, prickly leaves and dime-sized white, pink, or red ﬂowers with crinkly
petals. Makes a good hedge or background plant and offers ﬂoral color much of
the year. Little or no pruning needed.
Melaleuca
Size varies (12 feet or more)
Though more than 100 species of these Australian trees exist, only a dozen or
so are available in commercial nurseries. Leaves are leathery and small; ﬂowers
are generally cream-colored and resemble those of bottlebrush (Callistemon).
Clusters of beadlike seed pods persist on branches for several years. Most varieties of Melaleuca have weeping branches and corky bark that peels off in sheets.
Some are too messy for succulent gardens; one good choice is M. nesophila (pink
melaleuca), which grows large and sprawling, but with pruning can be shaped
into an attractive small tree.
Myrtus communis (myrtle)
Size varies
These evergreen shrubs with dense, ﬁne-textured leaves make good hedges
and backdrop plants that are drought-tolerant when established. Foliage is fragrant and makes a good ﬁller for ﬂoral arrangements. Varieties range from dwarf
‘Compacta’ to boxwood-like ‘Buxifolia’, but arguably the most attractive is ‘Variegata’, which has white-edged leaves.
Nandina domestica (heavenly bamboo)
6 to 8 feet tall; 3 to 4 feet wide
The thumbnail-sized oval leaves of these delicately textured shrubs turn from
chartreuse to rich shades of orange and red in autumn. Creamy white ﬂowers
become grapelike clusters of pea-sized red berries; use them in cut arrangements. In hottest climates, grow heavenly bamboo in dappled shade. It is lovely
when combined with variegated agaves and furcraea.
Nerium oleander (oleander)
Size varies
Cultivars range in size from shrubs that are 4 feet tall and about the same
diameter to upwards of 12 feet. Large white- and pink-ﬂowering varieties (such
as those that grow in freeway medians for miles along California highways) make
good hedges. Use smaller cultivars in dry gardens to provide lush foliage and
dependable color. Plants should be sheared back after summer bloom to keep
them compact. All parts of the plant are poisonous.

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236

Plant Palette

Olea europaea (olive tree)
30 feet
Olive trees have been cultivated for centuries for their oil-producing fruit;
silvery, willowy foliage; and beautifully gnarled limbs. They hearken to the
Mediterranean, where they originate, but are widely cultivated elsewhere. One
drawback is that the fruit stains sidewalks and driveways, but sprays that inhibit
fruiting are available. Well-irrigated young trees can grow 5 to 6 feet a year.
Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’ (Russian sage)
4 to 5 feet
Airy panicles of fuzzy, lavender-blue ﬂowers align themselves along slender
stems above loosely branched shrubs that have narrow, gray-green leaves. Plants
bloom repeatedly from spring through autumn if deadheaded. Cut Russian sage
to the ground in winter or it will get leggy. Tolerates poor soil, heat, frost, and
drought.
Pithecellobium ﬂexicaule (Texas ebony)
15 to 30 feet tall; 15 to 20 feet wide
These graceful desert trees have zigzagging branches and ﬁnely textured,
deep green leaves. Flowers that resemble cotton puffs turn into dark brown seed
pods. Texas ebony tolerates remarkably difﬁcult growing conditions: searing
desert heat, cold to 10°F, and drought. Trees are thorny and slow-growing. Deep
water bimonthly in summer.
Prosopis (mesquite)
Up to 30 feet tall and as wide
Mesquite trees are especially useful in desert regions, where they provide welcome shade for patios and garden beds. Deciduous compound leaves are made
up of many tiny leaﬂets, lending a delicate look to the tree. Stems are spiny, often
viciously so, but thornless varieties are available. Fluffy spikes of yellow ﬂowers
appear in spring. Trees will survive on minimal water, but they thrive with ample
irrigation. Roots will invade sewer and drainage lines.
Punica granatum (pomegranate)
15 to 20 feet tall and as wide
Fruit production of these shrubby, drought-tolerant trees is enhanced by regular watering. Bright orange-red spring blossoms are followed in fall by softballsized red fruit ﬁlled with seed sacks that resemble rubies. Autumn leaves turn
bright yellow and drop. Prune during winter dormancy. Plant nasturtiums or a
red-blooming ice plant at the base of a pomegranate tree to repeat the color of its
blossoms in spring.

Salvia (sage)
Size varies
This largest genus of the mint family includes 900
species. Due to surging popularity, dozens of ornamental varieties are available in nurseries. Among
those best suited to succulent gardens are Salvia
aurea (African sage), which has rust-brown ﬂowers;
S. greggii (autumn sage), with ﬂoral colors ranging
from deep magenta through shades of rose, pink, and
white; and purple-ﬂowered S. leucantha (Mexican
bush sage). Salvia gesneriiﬂora is striking in combination with large agaves and furcraeas; it grows to 8
feet tall and has brilliant orange-red blooms. Though
more drought-tolerant than many perennials, most
salvias come from areas of summer rainfall and do
best with regular deep watering. Shrubs tend to be
delicate and airy; prune after ﬂowering to maintain
shape.
Schinus molle (California pepper)
25 to 40 feet
This graceful tree has pendulous branches covered with slender leaves. It is
native to Peru but grows literally like a weed in California. Female trees produce
clusters of red seed pods. Roots are invasive and leaf litter copious, but Schinus molle will thrive in areas of the garden where nothing else will grow. Use as
a background tree, and do not attempt to cultivate succulents beneath the leaf
canopy. In all but desert areas, mature pepper trees can get by on rainfall alone.
Moderately frost-hardy once established.
Senna artemisioides (syn. Cassia artemisioides) (feathery cassia)
3 to 5 feet tall and as wide
This wispy desert shrub tolerates drought but looks best if watered. Cloudlike clusters of bright yellow ﬂowers in winter and spring are followed by dark
brown, delicate, ornamental seed pods. Use Senna artemisioides as a background
plant, hedge, or screen. Trim in autumn to maintain compact growth. Senna

nemophila (desert cassia) looks similar but has green instead of gray foliage and
greater cold tolerance.
Sphaeralcea ambigua (apricot mallow)
3 to 4 feet tall; 2 to 3 feet wide
Apricot mallow is a woody desert shrub that does best when given minimal
water; it will not tolerate wet winters. Delicate orange ﬂowers that resemble hollyhocks contrast beautifully with round, gray-green leaves. Grow it in combination with other plants native to Mexico and the Southwest, which promote a
symbiotic community of beneﬁcial soil organisms.
Tagetes lemmonii (Copper Canyon daisy, bush marigold)
3 to 6 feet tall and as wide
Delicate, gray-green foliage is pleasantly aromatic, so position shrubs where
passersby will brush against them. Brilliant golden yellow ﬂowers appear from
autumn through spring. Plants are somewhat brittle and have a lacy growth habit.
Give full sun, with shelter from frost and gusty winds. Cut back in summer.

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Plant Palette

Tecoma
15 to 30 feet
This genus includes small trees and evergreen shrubs that are prized for their
glossy green leaves and brilliantly colored ﬂowers. Tecoma stans (syn. Stenolobium stans, 15 to 20 feet), commonly called yellow bells, has bright yellow, trumpet-shaped ﬂowers arranged in sprays at branch tips. Bloom is summer through
autumn. Although a good choice for desert gardens, T. stans appreciates summer
irrigation. Protect from frost.

Ornamental Grasses
Festuca glauca (common blue fescue)
12 inches tall; 10 inches wide
Use this frost-hardy ornamental grass, which forms dense tufts of threadlike,
silvery blue leaves, to provide soft mounds beneath spiky agaves and to echo their
blue-gray color. Blue fescue also is striking in contrast with red-leaved plants
and those with orange ﬂowers. Divide clumps in autumn.
Nassella tenuissima (syn. Stipa tenuissima)
(Mexican feather grass)
2 feet tall; 2 to 3 feet wide
This billowy ornamental grass offers dramatic
textural contrast to hefty aloes and agaves. Slender, feathery stems create a silver-green cloud that
ripples in the slightest breeze. Cut back close to
the ground in winter to make way for fresh spring
growth. Will self-sow once established, to the point
of being invasive.
Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’
(purple fountain grass)
To 5 feet tall and as wide
Planted solo or in multiples, this cultivar with
bronze leaves and feathery purple-red ﬂower plumes
is among the most striking of ornamental grasses. It
ﬂowers summer through autumn and should be cut
to the ground in winter. ‘Rubrum’ does not self-sow
as much as the species, and it gets by on minimal
water once established.

Nassella tenuissima

Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’

Companion Plants

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Plant Palette

Companion Plants

243

Vining Plants
Bougainvillea
15 to 30 feet
Bougainvillea’s papery bracts come in brilliant colors—red, purple, orange,
pink, golden yellow, and white—and its spreading, mounding form enhances
walls, archways, pergolas, slopes, terraces, and fences. Cultivars with variegated
leaves are available. Take care when planting that you do not disturb its delicate
roots. Bougainvillea makes a gorgeous backdrop for large succulents, particularly blue agaves. Red and orange varieties effectively echo the winter blooms
of aloes. Bougainvillea thrives on heat and is drought-tolerant once established.
Protect from frost.
Gelsemium sempervirens (Carolina jessamine)
20 feet
Fragrant, bright yellow, trumpet-shaped blooms appear in spring and again in
autumn, and may last into winter. Vines are lovely trained over arbors or cascading down walls. When the interior of the plant gets woody, cut back severely.
Rosa banksiae (Lady Banks’ rose)
20 feet
Of all the roses, this is perhaps the best suited to a dry garden. In early spring,
a profusion of marble-sized, multi-petalled ﬂowers appear in clusters on thornless stems. Blooms can be either white or pale yellow, depending on the variety.
When the shrub sends out long (sometimes 15-foot) canes in summer, trim or
train along a fence or arbor.
Tecoma capensis (syn. Tecomaria capensis) (cape
honeysuckle)
15 to 30 feet
Cape honeysuckle can be grown as a shrub,
if pruned, or allowed to blanket a fence or wall.
Clusters of orange trumpet-shaped ﬂowers appear
autumn through spring.
<F303, 10-26.tif>

Gelsemium sempervirens. Rancho La Puerta

Tecoma capensis

Resources
For a comprehensive international directory of succulent nurseries, organizations, and public installations, visit the Internet site “Cactus and Succulent Plant
Mall,” at www.cactus-mall.com. For resources speciﬁc to your area, contact
your local chapter of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America (CSSA, www.
cssainc.org). The CSSA offers a wealth of information, and at meetings you can
view and obtain collectible specimens.
Before visiting any nursery, call ahead or peruse the business’s website for
hours of operation and to learn its specialty. If no street address is provided,
chances are the owners either require an appointment or sell primarily via mailorder. Succulent and cactus nurseries also do a thriving business via eBay (www.
ebay.com).
Gardens open to the public that include cacti and succulents in their collections offer opportunities to see the plants in landscape applications as well as
mature and unusual specimens. Several gardens well worth visiting are listed
here. Moreover, many colleges and universities—particularly University of California campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Riverside, and Santa Cruz—also have
impressive collections. Before visiting, call ﬁrst or check the locale’s website for
hours, which may vary seasonally. You also might want to time your visit to take
advantage of occasional plant sales.
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
2021 North Kinney Road
Tucson, AZ 85743
(520) 883-2702
www.desertmuseum.org